to be forgiven? How could God display either his justice or his grace, if there were no guilty creatures to punish, no pénitent sinners to pardon? The moral necessity of evil in the universe, to the exercise and display of the Divine perfections, will fully account for the admission of both sin and misery among the creatures of God, and for the Divine purpose and agency, in the first fall and consequent transgressions of angels and men, for all his dealings with both the elect and non-elect, in this world, and for all his conduct towards both the vessels of mercy and the vessels of wrath, in the world to come. The evil which has existed, and so much abounded in the universe, so far from being irreconcilable with the benevolence of God, is the effect of his benevolence. True benevolence required him to give up the good of a part, when necessary to the greatest good of the whole; and to introduce as much evil, both natural and moral, into his kingdom, as he saw necessary, in his infinite wisdom, to produce the greatest possible quantity of holiness and happiness in the universe. God will be infinitely more happy and glorious; saints and angels will be vastly more holy and happy to all eternity, than they could have been, if evil had never entered the world. It was altogether benevolence in God, to make all things for himself; yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. His very goodness prompted him to form the light and create darkness, to make peace and create evil.' And we may rely upon his power and love, to make the wrath of man praise him, and to restrain the remainder of it.'

5. If all the moral perfections of God are compréhended in true love, then they are all equally amiable and glorious. It has been the practice of some men, to, set the moral perfections of God in opposition to each other, as if diverse in their nature, and irreconcilable in their exercise: some of them, such as his goodness, forbearance and grace, they represent as amiable and praise-worthy; and others of them, such as his justice, anger or vengeance, as rather dreadful, than lovely, if not indeed dishonorable and odious. But this is a gross misrepresentation of the Divine perfections, and a foul reproach upon the Divine character. All God's moral perfections are comprehended in true love. They are all branches of disinterested benevolence. They are all of the same nature, and directed to the same end, the blessedness and glory of God, and the highest good of the created system. The same pure benevolence which disposes God to love holiness, equally disposes him to hate sin. The same Divine holiness which takes delight in the righteous, is angry with the wicked every day. The same disinterested goodness, which disposes God to reward the innocent, disposes him to punish the guilty forever. The same immaculate and immutable holiness, which is a cloud of glory to the righteous, is a consuming fire to the wicked. The disinterested love of God, which pours rivers of pleasure through the streets

of Paradise, pours torrents of wrath into the abyss of torment, and 'burns to the lowest hell.' Hence the inspired writers celebrate, in equal strains, the glory of his saving mercy, and of his vindictive justice: "O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.-Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy-for thy judgments are made manifest."

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6. We are taught, by this subject, what that is in God which the wicked hate. Our Lord said to certain of the wicked, who heard him preach and rejected his doctrine, "Ye have both seen and hated, both me and my Father." And the apostle says, "The carnal mind is enmity against God." But what is there in the ever blessed God, to which wicked men are so much and so universally opposed? It is neither his greatness nor his sovereignty, simply considered. His natural greatness, comprising his omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence, is adapted to the taste for sublimity and grandeur, which the wicked possess, in common with the righteous. The sovereignty of God, which is his doing as he pleases, gives no displeasure to those who think him like themselves, and pleased to do what their hearts most desire.

It is the Love of God, that the wicked so universally hate. It is disinterested love; and, therefore, in direct opposition to all the selfish feelings of their hearts. God aims, supremely, at the greatest good of the universe; the wicked desire him to aim, supremely, as they do themselves, at their own private good. He is no respecter of persons; they wish him to be partial to themselves. He appoints and causes evil, as the means of great good; they desire him to prevent evil, for their own sakes. Their 'eye is evil, because he is good.' He is determined to give up their happiness, if the greater happiness of the universe requires such a sacrifice; they would not have him give up their happiness, if he himself, and all their fellow-creatures must otherwise be miserable. It is the pure benevolence of God, in which all his moral excellency, amiableness and glory consist, which the wicked hate. On this account, they are at enmity with all his designs and ways, and feel equally opposed to all his moral perfections. On this account it is, that they say unto God, "Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." On this account it is, that the fool saith in his heart, No God.' Hence,

7. We learn, what it is to be reconciled to God, and the necessity of being so, in order to enjoy him. If the wicked are at enmity with the love, the goodness, or disinterested benevolence of God; then, in order to become reconciled, they must cease to love themselves, selfishly and supremely, and become impartial and disinterested. In order to be reconciled to God, men must be conformed to God in the temper of their minds,' and exercise the same kind of love, with that in which his moral perfections consist. Without this, men can

take no delight in God, nor be the objects of his complacency. God is love; and it is impossible to have communion with him, without exercising that holy love, in which his moral image consists. Holiness is that love which is the fulfilling of the law; and without which no man shall see the Lord.

8. If all the moral perfections of God are comprehended in true love; we may hence learn, why he fits some of mankind for vessels of mercy, and others for vessels of wrath. He does not make men thus to differ, because he values the happiness of some more, than the happiness of others; for he is good unto all, and values the happiness of each individual, according to his capacity and rank in the scale of being. Accordingly, he sets a higher value on the happiness of some, whom he appoints to wrath,' than of others whom he appoints to ' obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.'

It is not because God has more complacency in some, as they are by nature, that he selects them as objects of his special favor; for he has complacency in none, while they remain, as all are by nature, dead in trespasses and sins, and children of wrath.

God is love. In forming the characters and fixing the destinies of men, he acts on the broad scale of impartial, universal benevolence. In his infinite wisdom, he sees that it will best promote the highest good of the universe, to save a part, and not the whole of mankind. In selecting the individuals whom he shall make the subjects of his special grace, he proceeds with the same supreme regard to the general good, without the least respect of persons. "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he harden

eth."

9. This subject shows us how the love of God gives saints ground of hope that they shall be saved. It is not because God is partial to them; for he is not. Nor is it because he sees no sin in his people, as some have argued; for their justification is not complete, till they leave this probationary state, and in faithfulness he chastises them, and visits their iniquities with the rod of correction. The love of God does not give saints ground to hope, merely because he has sent his Son to atone for their sins; for Christ has made an atonement for all others, as much as for saints. Nor is it because saints have done any thing to merit the favor of God, that they may hope in his love; for whatever good they may have done, they have often neglected their duty, and never exceeded it, and have been not only unprofitable, but slothful servants.

But God has been graciously pleased to offer pardon and eternal life, through Jesus Christ, to all such as become truly reconciled to him, and thus fit to enjoy his presence and favor in heaven. Saints have become truly reconciled to God, having had his love shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit. And they are assured, that 'he,

who hath begun a good work in them, will perform it, until the day of Jesus Christ.' All, therefore, who have evidence that they are saints, have equal evidence that the love of God will effect the final salvation of their souls.

10. It may be inferred from all that has been said, that the love of God, however great, affords sinners no ground to hope that they shall escape the wrath to come. His love is hatred to sin, and renders him angry with the wicked continually. His love has prepared a place of torment for transgressors, and will punish thousands with everlasting destruction. The love of God forbids his receiving any to heaven, till reconciled to his character, and prepared to enjoy his presence. His love disposes him, in order to glorify himself and promote the greatest good of his kingdom, to prepare some for glory, and fit the rest for destruction. And for aught any impenitent, guilty rebel against God, knows, he himself may be one of those vessels of wrath, whom God is enduring with much long suffering, in order, hereafter, to show his wrath and make his power known upon him; while he will forever make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, whom he has afore prepared unto glory. Amen.

FOR THE HOPKINSIAN MAGAZINE.

ON THE NECESSITY AND UTILITY OF EXERCISING COMMON SENSE.

[CONCLUDED FROM PAGE 18.]

Having mentioned some of the elementary truths of natural and revealed religion, which agree with the spontaneous dictates of common sense, I will now proceed to show the necessity and importance of adopting and adhering to them, in all our speculations, inquiries, and reasoning, on divine subjects.

This will appear from the fact, that without adopting and adhering to these first principles, we can never obtain any true demonstrative knowledge. We must reason from some self-evident truths, or we can never reason at all. We must take it for granted that we exist, or we cannot prove the existence of any other beings. We must take it for granted that every effect has an intelligent, producing cause, adequate to its production; or we can never prove that any being ever did any good or evil; that there is a Supreme Eternal Existence who made all things; or that miracles and prophecies demonstrate the divinity of the Bible. We must take it for granted that vindictive justice is amiable and right; or we can never prove that the God of the Bible is a good Being; or that the heavenly hosts, who will sing praises in view of it, are any more amiable, virtuous, and holy, than those who will blaspheme in view of the same thing. We must suppose that holiness in God is of the same nature, as holiness in man; or how can we ever obtain any true knowledge of the moral charac

ter of God? We must take it for granted that sin is more odious than misery; or how can we prove it is right to punish transgressors with misery in any case, or degree? And we must also take it for granted that holiness is more excellent and important than happiness; or how can we refute the absurd schemes of religion, which are founded upon mere loss and gain, advantage and disadvantage ?—which have nothing to do with conscience?—and which have so extensively united and elated the hearts and hopes, and animal feelings, of so many professors of religion, at this remarkable and eventful period? We must take it for granted that independence can never be communicated, to creatures or objects; or how can we prove that any person is under obligations of gratitude for preservation; or that Deity now exists, and constantly upholds and governs the world? We must take it for granted that our conscience or moral sense of right and wrong, always lays us under moral obligation to obey its dictates; or how can we know that it ever does ; or that any thing else can ever morally bind us to do some things, and not others? or, indeed, how can we know that there is any such thing as moral obligation in existence? We must believe that all have some true and certain knowledge of what is true and right; or how can there be in our minds any obvious sense to the scriptures, which binds all men to one faith? If we do not assume the first and self-evident principles of moral truth, how can metaphysical reasoning, in any case, ever be as sound and certain, as mathematical? Or, if we do not assume the truth of the multiplication table, how can we demonstrate the truth of any question in mathematicks? If we do not assume the fact, that "as in water, face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man," or that human nature is the same in all ages; who could ever form a sound system of politicks; or ever know from what has been, what will certainly, or probably, be in future? If there were not some elementary truths, which are the same in all ages, how could historians communicate any certain knowledge to posterity; or how could we derive any certain knowledge from the perusal of their pages. The truth is, we necessarily derive all our demonstrative knowledge, by reasoning from the elementary truths which we perceive intuitively, and by applying these principles to every subject and object which is presented to our minds. Hence every person must remain in profound ignorance, who does not adopt and adhere firmly to the first principles of common sense, and apply them to the subjects and objects presented to his view.

Without adopting principles of common sense, no person can understand, explain and harmonise the scriptures, which were founded upon these principles, nor refute the objections of infidels against the Bible. Divine revelation was made to man, through the medium of a written language, which is often figurative, poetical and concise.Hence, it is necessary to understand and explain passages, by some