faith in their hearts, and thus uniting them to the Lord Jesus Christ, he actually puts them in possession of its rich and invaluable blessings. To the other, the offer of salvation is sincerely made, and they are inexcusable in rejecting it; but God does not impart to them the saving grace of his Holy Spirit.

And is it reasonable to conclude, that Jehovah feels for those two classes of men, whom he treats so differently, the same kind and the same degree of love?

Was it not easily seen, from the peculiar endearments which Jacob showed to his son Joseph, that he loved him more than his brethren? And is it not manifest that Jehovah loves those on whom he bestows peculiar and distinguishing blessings, more than he loves those on whom he does not bestow them? When the Jews saw Jesus weeping at the tomb of Lazarus, they justly remarked, "Behold how he loved him!" They judged of the strength of his love from its effects: and doubtless we are authorized to judge of the love of God, by

the same criterion. When the God of Israel sets forth his peculiar love to his ancient people, he enumerates some of the distinguishing blessings bestowed on them: and if the enjoyment of superior external blessings was a proof of distinguishing regard for the people thus favoured, then surely the enjoyment of superior spiritual blessings, must be a proof of distinguishing love toward that portion of our race whom Jehovah delights thus to favour. "Behold," exclaims the apostle in view of these distinguishing blessings, "behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God!" And again: "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that God loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.'

To this special, this distinguishing love, we attribute the gift of Jesus Christ; and not, as our brethren, to that common love, that general compassion, which, as they say, will be felt even for the damned, when the sentence of everlasting perdition shall be

pronounced on them. This general compassion differs widely from that astonishing love which inspired writers celebrate in such lofty notes of praise ;-that wonderful love which constitutes the theme of that everlasting song which will be sung by saints and angels in heaven, through endless ages. With inspired writers, and in unison with the sentiments of saints around the throne in glory, we magnify this love, and set it above all displays of general benevolence, that were ever made in creation or in providence. It has dimensions, a breadth and length and depth and height, which no created intellect will ever be able fully to comprehend. Unto to him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." Amen.

Yours, sincerely.

LETTER XI.

On the Law.

MY DEAR FRIEND,-I must draw my epistles to a close. The importance of the subject discussed, has induced me to spend so much time in the investigation. They are now in a course of publication; and if the great Head of the church shall condescend to honour them as a means for rectifying the error of any reader, or for establishing the minds of the wavering in the doctrine that has hitherto prevailed in the Presbyterian church, I shall deem myself well rewarded for the time and labour bestowed on them.

It only remains to contrast the two theories in relation to the HONOUR they reflect on the DIVINE law, and on our BLESSED REDeemer.

Both schools concur in pronouncing on

the Law of God the highest encomiums; believing it to be a transcript of his moral perfections, and worthy of the profoundest obedience of every rational creature. They agree in the sentiment, that the penalty which guards the sanctity of the law, involves a degree of misery far greater than is felt by any human being on this side the grave, and that it will run parallel with the eternal existence of the damned; and they strenuously maintain, that the infliction of this fearful penalty on every impenitent and unbelieving sinner, is a righteous procedure on the part of the Supreme Ruler of the universe. But they differ widely in their views of the bearing of the Mediator's work on the law.

You know, sir, that, in the contrast I am drawing, I do not refer to our brethren, who, while they believe in a general atonement, hold to its true nature as involving a real satisfaction to Divine justice, and a real infliction of the threatened penalty on the sinner's glorious and spotless substitute. In my second letter it was shown,