but one? And why is it that it is only from a defect of vision-from a something going wrong in our organization-that we see things as they are really painted on the retina, that is, double, and not as the mind naturally perceives them, in exact and never-varying unity? All these are the wonders of our external vision, all these are the difficulties in our way; but shall we therefore keep our eyes shut? Shall we be mad enough to close the lid because the pupil, the way of light, is so narrow and confined? Or shall we refuse the light because others are deprived of it? Shall we choose the terrors of darkness for fear of seeing the perils on our path? No! Here we are rational enough: we know that God has given us but one sun, and therefore we are satisfied with it as he has made it; we know that he has appointed but one way in which we are capable of receiving its rays, and therefore we are satisfied to see through the intricate machinery which he has planned;through the narrow aperture which he has opened for us; through that one only way which he has appointed. In short, here we are rational beings, wise in our generation, for we open our eyes and we see.

The light of revelation is like the light of day, subject to the same difficulties; open to the same objections; and if on account of these difficulties, on account of these objections, it be madness to shut our eyes to the one, it is equally madness to shut our eyes to the other.

The sun in the heavens is of God's creating; the means by which we receive its rays are all God's works; but to man is given the power to open his eyes and see, or to shut out the light and remain in darkness. So the light of the gospel is of God; the means whereby we receive that light are all God's work; but to man is given the power to make use of those means, or to reject them, " lest he should see and be converted." If, therefore, he has "pre

1 "For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed, lest they should hear with their ears, and see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."-Acts xxviii.

"I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts." "I spoke to thee in thy prosperity, but thou said'st, I will not hear." "Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they refused to receive correction; they have made their faces harder than a rock, they have refused to return."

ferred darkness rather than light," his con

"Be it unto thee even as

thou wilt." The choice of good or evil,+

demnation is just.

the choice of light

or darkness, the choice of

heaven or hell, is

set before him. There is

"Make you a new heart and a new spirit, for why will ye die, O house of Israel." "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; therefore turn yourselves and live ye." "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, and my people are bent to backsliding from me." "How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wing, but ye would not." All these texts must clearly shew that though our Maker has undoubtedly, like the potter, power over the clay to mould and frame as He will the creatures of his hand; and though, as it has been well remarked, He makes one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour, it has pleased Him to make both vessels for his service, and neither vessel for destruction, for He has "no pleasure in the death of the wicked," and "willeth not that any should perish." To the wicked and slothful servant, that vessel of dishonour in the parable of the talents, was given an ability which, though far below what was vouchsafed to his fellow-servants, was still quite sufficient to establish his responsibility and leave him without excuse; and which, had it been consecrated to the service of God with zeal and fidelity, would have secured to him a sentence of approval similar in quality, but differing in degree, from that pronounced in favour of his fellow-servants, those vessels of honour, who having received much, had also rendered back the much that was required of them,

* See Note S.

+ See Note T.

H

no half measure proposed for his acceptance; there is no happy medium between light and darkness; there is no twilight of the soul, in which it may comfortably and indolently dose through time, and awake to the blessings of eternity. There is nothing between heaven and hell, for purgatory is but a dream of the human imagination; no bargaining is admitted for the pearl of great price, and if we really wish to possess it, we must be satisfied to make the purchase, even at the cost of all we have.

Suffer not yourself to be deluded with the idea, that if you choose the darkness, it has

1 "If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law."Gal. iii. 21. Thus we may argue (following up the same train of reasoning as the Apostle), that if there had been a place of purification mid-way between Heaven and Hell, where the sufferings of the soul could have expiated its sins and purged away its stains, the Saviour of the world needed not to have given his life a ransom for all, nor have poured out his blood-that blood which it is expressly declared, cleanseth from all sin. It is very common to hear some Protestants declare that purgatory is the least objectionable part of Popery, because it seems to supersede the necessity of hell; but this is said in ignorance, for the Papists do not exclude hell from their creed, but reserve it for the benefit of Protestant heretics, as well as Jews, Turks, Infidels, and those who die without priestly absolution.

:

been decreed that you should so choose there is no choice where there is compulsion; the one of necessity excludes the other. We believe that to all of us to whom the Word of God has been preached a light is offered; not indeed sufficient to find our way, but sufficient to enable us to seek it; and to seek is our business here below. The Bible indeed affirms that we have no power of ourselves to think a good thought or to do a good deed, and emphatically declares that though "to do good we have no knowledge, we are wise to do evil." For after the fall, when God cursed the ground, he declared that "thorns and thistles it should bring forth" as its spontaneous production. And thus it is with the human heart; * evil springs up naturally in the corrupted soil, nor does it bear within itself even the latent good seed, that must be supplied by God, planted by his Holy Spirit, watered by his Grace, and brought to perfection by the "Sun of Righteousness," who alone can make it bear "fruit unto everlasting life." Let not, however, the spiritual husbandman persuade himself that, as God must

* See Note U.