men unto him, because vast numbers had been previously given to the devil by an eternal, im mutable decree.*

They deny, that Christ is the head of every. man.t

They acknowledge, that by the offence of Adam judgement came upon all men to condemnation; but positively deny, that by the righteousness of Jesus Christ the free gift came upon all men unto the justification of life ;‡ and alledge, that all men, in the first case, does mean all men; but in the last case, the elect only.

They positively deny, that Christ is an advocate with the Father, or a propitiation for the sins of the whole world.[[

But all these cannot excite our astonishment so much, as their positive denial of the truth of Christ's solemn promise, that if he should be lifted up from the earth, he would draw all men unto him.

The Father sent his Son into the world, ins vested with all the power in Heaven and in earth, * John xii. 32. ↑ 1 Cor. xi. 3. Rom. v. 18. 1 John ii

to accomplish two very important purposes, to wit, to be the Saviour of the world, and to destroy the works of the devil.*

But the Partialists positively deny, that he ever will accomplish either of these purposes. But there are other important purposes, for the accomplishment of which Christ was invested with extraordinary powers. He will not satisfy himself with destroying the works of the devil, but will assuredly destroy the old traitor himself.

Forasmuch, then, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that hath the power of death, that is, the devil.t

He will also destroy hell, and ransom the prisoners that are confined there, and redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy (katargeitai) perdition and dissolution. O hell, I will be thy destruction repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.‡

Death is swallowed up in victory. O death! where is thy sting? O hell! where is thy vic

*Mat. xxviii. 18. 1 John iv. 14, and iii. 8. † Heb.. Hos. xiii, 14.

ii. 14.

tory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.*

Now if hell is to be of eternal duration, and the Lord is determined never to ransom the prisoners from their confinement there, or to redeem them from the power of the second death, but to leave them in hell, to curse and blaspheme his adorable name, which is allowed by all to be a most heinous sin: and as sin is declared to be the sting of death, I query, and request a candid answer. With what propriety could the above questions be asked by one who had solemnly promised to destroy hell, to ransom the prisoners from its power, and not only to redeem them from death, but also to destroy death itself, but had fulfilled none of these promises? For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet: the last enemy shall be destroyed, which is death.f

.

Now if death shall ultimately be destroyed, as the last enemy of God and man, is it not selfevident that evil of every kind and degree, both physical and moral, must be previously destroyed? For otherwise it could not with truth be called the last enemy if others were still in being.

* 1 Cor. xv. 54 to 57.

† 1 Cor. xv. 25, 26.

How monstrously absurd and blasphemous would it appear to every reasonable person, if any one should affirm, that God was constantly employed in producing human beings on pur pose for the devil, to be tormented by him throughout eternal ages? But however shock. ing it may appear, this is the genuine essence of the doctrine of Calvin and his disciples, when stripped of the sophistical garb in which it has been decorated, and sent forth into the world. If they are asked what motive could have induced the Deity to create so many millions of human beings,who neither had nor could offend him before they existed, and to reprobate them by an eternal decree,they do not wish to hear any thing said about justice in this stage of the bu siness; but acknowledge this to be an act of sovereign power; and argue, that as the potter has power over an insensible lump of clay, out of which to make one vessel to honour, and an other to dishonour, so God has an indisputable right to create millions to damn them eternally, because they are conceived in sin, and brought forth in iniquity, in consequence of Adam's fall; by which their nature and original constitution was so effectually corrupted and vitiated, that nothing less than almighty power can restore fallen nature to its pristine state: and this the Deity is by no means obliged to do,

as he had given them such a promising chance for future happiness, by, choosing Adam their representative, to act for them,who unfortunately proved a traitor, by which means all their claim to future happiness was fairly lost. But when they are reminded of the eternal, immutable decree, by means of which (agreeably to their scheme) Adam was obliged to act exactly as he did, they wish to have this part of the business considered as contingent, and argue strenuously that Adam acted as a free, unbiassed agent, because he was entirely ignorant both of the secret decree and the fore-knowledge of God and their influence upon his conduct.

But were we, for argument sake, to allow that Adam was exempt from the influence of the secret decree, would this be sufficient to vindicate the moral character of God for constituting Adam the covenant-head and representative of his posterity, and putting their lives, and only chance of millions for future happiness, in trust with him, when he positively knew that Adam would transgress? And then to offer this as a good reason, why any individual of his posterity should be precluded from an interest in the covenant of grace, and the benefits to be derived from the atonement and propitiation made by Christ for the sins of the whole world, who is declared to