goodness of God have limited the charity of those who had them? and have not those opinions, which maintain that the Father of our spirits will execute unspeakable vengeance on a large proportion of the human family eternally effectually hardened the hearts of those who have been led by them, and rendered them in too many instances, unreasonable enthusiasts and violen persecutors of those who have not conformed to their superstitions? Not only does the impartial grace which we have seen in the doctrine of election lead us to love all men, and to do good to all men, but it shews us that we are no better than those who are blind respecting this divine and glorious system of truth. This doctrine naturally leads the believer to pity the blindness of those who do not see; but it gives the consoling anticipation of the final reconciliation of all things through Jesus Christ our Lord. It fills the heart with gratitude to God, who so wisely planned and so graciously designed the blindness of the house of Israel, that thereby salvation might come unto the Gentiles; and has so ordained in his impartial goodness, that the blinded Jews shall eventually obtain the mercy now enjoyed by the Gentiles. Thus of the twain, the wisdom of God makes one new man, so making peace. Therefore we read; "Rejoice ye Gentiles with his people. And again, praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him all ye people." No. 11. LECTURE SERMON, DELIVERED AT THE SECOND UNIVERSALIST MEETING, IN BOSTON, BY HOSEA BALLOU, PASTOR, Published Semi-Monthly by Henry Bowen, Devonshire-street, II. CORINTHIANS, v. 18, 19, 20. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesuš Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trepasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's slead, be ye reconciled to God." Ir is a peculiar and distinguishing characteristic of the gospel dispensation, that it exhibits a new order of things, brings the glad tidings of better things than were before understood, sheds a clearer light on mental vision than was before enjoyed, makes a brighter manifestation of the gracious designs of the wisdom of God than was made by the legal dispensation, and creates new views, new-desires, and new affections of heart. Thegospel of God our Saviour, contemplates the world of mankind as being in a state of death, from which state its divine efficacies were designed to quicken man into newness of life by the spirit of truth. These sugges tions seem to be embraced by the Apostle in our context where he says; "The love of Christ com straineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore, henceforth know we no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all thing are become new." Applied to the Jewish converts, these words of the Apostle are designed to notice the passing away of the legal dispensation with all its rites and the introduction of the bitter covenant and more excellent ministry of the gospel ; and as they apply to Gentile believers they regard the total overthrow of all the idols and idol worship among the heathen, and their reformation to the kuowledge, laws and ordinances of the gospel of Christ. To these new things the Apostle alludes in our text and says; "all things are of God, who hath reconciled us unto himself," &c. The first particular subject of our text is what is embraced in the reconciliation of the ambassadors, of Christ to God. Concerning this subject the Apostle's testimony makes the following things evident. 1st. That they had been in a state of unreconciliation. 2d. That the whole process, from the beginning to the end of the work of their reconciliation was of God. 3d. That this work was effected by Jesus Christ. Perhaps no man was ever more unreconciled to God, to Christ, or to the gospel than the author of our text had been; and it was well known to him that he was not the author of those means by which he be came reconciled. He well knew that the knowledge of Jesus, in the excellency of which he afterward so much rejoiced, was by no means the object of his enquiry or persuit at the time and on the occasion to which he refers when giving an account of his miraculous convertion to christianity. He often adverted to his views, his designs, and to his conduct while opposed to the gospel, but in no instance did he give any intimation that he obtained the grace of the Saviour in consequence of his own faithful exertions. Similar remarks may justly be made, respecting the Apostles who were chosen by our divine Redeemer during his personal ministry. Some he called from a lucrative office under the Roman government, others from the laborious employment of fishermen; but it is evident that the Saviour made his own selections without regard to the wisdom or will of his chosen, for be informed them as follows; "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit.” Indeed there is an evident absurdity in the supposition that God reconciles any to himself on account of their good works, for those who are obedient unto righteousness are not unreconciled to God. For want of making proper distinctions between causes and effects, many well meaning and pious people have maintained that the divine favour is to be obtained by the penitence, faith and good works of men, not discerning clearly, that repentance, faith, and good works are the effects and not the causes of the favour of God. Let us here indulge a simile. A number of children, at that age when passions and fancy are vastly more powerful than reason and solid judgement, leave the paternal mansion disgusted at the rules of prudence, industry and economy established in the domestic circle, in quest of fancied pleasures in the indulgence of those passions which grow restless under restraint. The race, is short; they |