And to put the matter beyond dispute I begged he would attend to the following scriptures, which I immediately proceeded to read : Numbers xiv. 21, "But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord."

Pslams xxii. 27, "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindred of the nations shall worship before thee." Again, 29, "All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him.”

1. Peter iii. 18, 19, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit:

"By which he went and preached unto the spirits in prison:

"Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah."

1. Corinthians xv. 22, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Romans xi. from the 24th verse to the conclusion of that chapter: "For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

"And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, there shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

"For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

"As concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the Father's sake. "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. "For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now ob. tained mercy through their unbelief;

"Even so have these also now not belived, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

"For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding

out!

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?

“Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

"For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen."

Shutting my Bible I begged leave to observe: That the world, the whole world did not in the present state, appear filled with the glory of the Lord. Nor do all the ends of the earth with all the kindreds of the nations, as yet remember and turn to the Lord. All who are taught of God are made to know God, and this is life eternal to know thee the only true God. But the elder world were taught of God after he had by his grace tasted death for every man. On your principles, Sir, all are not made alive in Christ in the present state; it follows then they shall be made alive in a better state, for all shall be made alive in Christ. The Israelites, who were cut off and blinded, and who were to remain in that state of blindness and ignorance, until the fulness of the Gentiles are brought in ; which fulness, by the way you will readily admit are not brought in here, shall nevertheless be all saved. And it is the ignorance of this mystery which make so many wise in their own conceit. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part has happened unto Israel.-(All of them were not blinded, certainly not; the Apostle himself was an Israelite) until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved.

Yes, truly, God having given Christ Jesus, the promised seed, to these unbelieving, rebellious Israelites, and having called them to the participation of all spiritual blessings in him. Having, in one word so loved them as to give them his Son, he will never repent thereof: but as ye Gentiles in time past have not believed God yet have now obtained mercy, even so have these also now not believed that they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief; for what purpose? that he may have mercy upon all.

I should have observed that on my reading this passage the objector ascended the pulpit, and looked over my shoulder suspecting that my reading was false! yes, truly, although he had been many years

a public teacher, he absolutely supposed I had produced for scripture what was not to be found in the Bible.

See, Sir, I observed; please to read for yourself, that you may be assured I am not guilty of deception. With some confusion he replied, I am convinced, Sir, it is so written. Upon this an old gentleman, a lawyer, who had quitted the ministerial gown and band for the emoluments of the bar, exclaimed, "You should have made yourself better acquainted with the scripture in private, before you pretended to talk about it in public."

After reproving this remarker, by observing that no man was obliged to carry a concordance in his head, nor could it be expected he should render every text of scripture verbatim, I once more read the passage, when in a conceding tone of voice and gentlemanly manner, my discomforted opponent hesitatingly questioned, "But, what all, Sir, are concluded in unbelief?"

I could not avoid responding, All unbelievers, Sir, God cannot conclude in unbelief, such who have power given them to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Upon this my clerical opposer left the church uttering himself in an under tone, and in a manner too indistinct for my comprehension. He has been severely censured by his brethren of the clergy, for, as they say, officiously encountering me, especially in public, as they pronounce that every attempt of this sort will have a tendency to spread the heresy.

You are solicitous to know if it be a fact that I have been pelted by stones while engaged in the pulpit. Assuredly, and that more than once, and in the metropolis of New-England! one stone weighing one pound and a half was thrown violently in at the window but missed me; I lifted it up, and waving it in the view of the people, observed, this argument is solid and weighty, but it is neither rational nor convincing. Exclamations from various parts of the house were echoed, and re-echoed. 66 Pray, Sir, leave the pulpit; your life is at hazard." Be it so, I returned, the debt of nature must be paid, and I am as ready and as willing to discharge it now, as I shall be fifty years hence. Yet, for your consolation, suffer me to say, I am immortal, while He who called me into existence has any business for me to perform, and when he has executed those purposes for which he designed me as the humble instrument, he will graciously sign the passport for my emancipation. With your good leave then I will pursue my subject, and while I have a "Thus VOL. I.

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saith the Lord for every point of doctrine which I advance, not all the stones in Boston, except they stop my breath, shall shut my mouth or arrest my testimony.

The congregation was astonishingly large, but order and silence were gradually restored, and I had uncommon freedom in the illustration and defence of those sacred truths which will be ultimately triumphant.

But I had no idea of dwelling so tediously upon this mighty subject, self. I designed only to show you that there is no proposition, which the clergy in this country and all who are under their dominion so much abhor, as that God will have mercy upon unbelievers ; and yet, while these spiritual merchants who eat the sins of God's people and tremble at the idea of their believing that these sins have been put away by the great sacrifice, I say, while they are continually denouncing eternal wrath and damnation on every one who does not believe, they never tell their terrified hearers what they are to believe. Some years since I was in company with a person deemed one of the greatest luminaries in this part of the Christian world. He has given his name to a set of dreamers in New-England, and has written against the truth and its very able advocate, Mr. Relly. I happened to travel by his side one whole day, and journeying to his place of residence he said,

A. Well, Sir, I suppose you will preach in N. P.

M. Very likely, Sir.

A. You have friends there, I presume?

M. No, Sir, I do not know a single soul.

A. You have letters of recommendation, perhaps?

M. Not a line, Sir.

A. Where then do you intend to go, and what do you intend to do? M. I have laid no plans, Sir.

A. I promise you, you shall not preach in my meeting.

M. I should be very much surprised if I did, Sir.

A. And I suppose you think you are called of God to go to N. P.?

M. I think it is not unlikely, Sir.

A. I believe you will find yourself mistaken.

M. It is possible.

A. Suppose you should find no place to preach in, what would you do then?

M. Devote myself to private conversation.

4. But suppose you could find no one to converse with?

M. Then I would turn about and go back again.

A. But what would you think of your faith?

M. Call it fancy, no doubt. But at present I think I shall preach the gospel in N. P. and although I am an utter stranger, knowing no one, nor known by any one; yet, I expect before I leave the place to have many friends.

A. Aye, these are fine fancies, fine fancies, indeed.

M. Had you not better suspend your decision until you witness the result? will it not then be full time to determine whether it be faith or fancy?

A. If it should not be as I predict, I should not be ashamed to own my error; if it should, you ought to blush for your unwarrantable confidence. But as it is not impossible you may preach in that city, and that some of my people may be among the number of your hearers, I think I have a right to question you.

M. If God will give me leave to preach to his people, I am con

tent.

A. What do you mean by that, Sir?

M. Your observation brought to my mind, what on a certain occasion a very distinguished servant of God said unto his master, when he was told to go down and see what his people were doing: “O Lord," said he, "they are not my people, they are thy people." However, Moses was not settled on your plan.

A. Well, Sir, I look upon my people to be God's people. M. You are perfectly right, Sir, so indeed they are; and if I speak to them at all I shall speak to them in that character.

A. Well, Sir, as you call yourself a preacher of the gospel, and may, as I have said, preach to my people, it is proper I should know what ideas you have of gospel. Tell me, Sir, what is gospel?

M. I am happy, Sir, in being able to give you a direct answer. The gospel is a solemn declaration given upon the oath of Jehovah, that in the seed of Abraham all the nations of the earth should be blessed.

A. Is that all you know of gospel?

M. Would it not, my good Sir, require a very long season to inform mankind who and what that seed is; how, and in what manner all the nations of the earth are, and shall be blessed therein; and what blessings they are blessed with in Christ Jesus? The apostle Paul, although he laboured more abundantly than his brethren, found this vast, this important subject abundantly sufficient for his whole