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words are too plain to need any It is manifeft from them that the Jews will, as a body, be turned from their unbelief, and will acknowledge Jefus Chrift as their Redeemer.

The removal of the blindnefs of the Jews and their return to the church will be a wonderful event.

way ungodlinefs from Jacob. Thefe | fo entirely, with the concerns of eternity. God has taken hold of your confcience. I hope it is his defign, to make you a veffel of mercy. I find you are much difturbed with the fovereignty of God, in the difpenfations of his grace. This is not uncommon, with people in your circumstances; but it is an evidence of the enmity of the carnal heart against God. God is fhewing you your heart. You have heretofore had little acquaintance with yourself, in respect to your relation to God. You will find, that your natural oppofition to him is as great, as the fcriptures have reprefented it.

What shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead? Their recovery will refemble a refurrection from the grave. It will throw great light upon the fcriptures; and will fill the minds of believers of all nations with admiration and praife.

I fhall conclude this Effay with the infcription put upon the monument of Rabbi Judah Monis, who was born in Italy, and ended his life in Northborough, Maffachufetts.

INSCRIPTION.

"Here lie buried the remains of
RABBI JUDAH MONIS, M. A.

Late Hebrew inftructor
At Harvard College in Cambridge;
In which office he continued 40 years.
He was by birth and religion a Jew,
But embraced the Chriftian faith;
And was publickly baptized
At Cambridge, A. D. 1722,
And departed this life
April 25th, 1764,
Aged eighty-one years, two months
and twenty-one days.

A native branch of Jacob fee,
Which once from off its olive broke,
Regrafted in the living tree,
Of the reviving sap partook.
From teeming Zion's fertile womb,
As dewy drops in early morn,
Or rifing bodies from the tomb,
At once be Ifrael's nation born." B.

(To be continued.)

I will take the liberty, to make to you fome obfervations, on the fovereignty of God; and on that oppofition to it, which fo often ap pears among men.

The fovereignty of God confifts in his doing whatever he pleases. In the exercife of this fovereignty, he has created what worlds, and what intelligent creatures, he faw fit. He manages and difpofes of them, in all circumstances, as he

thinks proper. He gives them

fuch abilities and accommodations, as he chooses. In his own wif dom, he brings men into being, in this, or that age of the world. He orders the circumftances of their country, parentage, conftitution of body, education, profperity, or adverfity. He gives, or withholds the light of the gospel. Where the light of the gospel is enjoyed, he fometimes attends it with the influerices of his fpirit, fo that many are awakened, and bro't home to Chrift; and at other times, he withholds thofe influences, and the people are stupid. He awakens and renews one, and another is left. He has mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth. They are har

dened by thofe very means, by | It is his fixed control and govern

which they ought to be perfuaded to repent, and believe the gofpel. He doth all things according to the counsel of his own will.— | There is none can ftay his hand, or fay unto God, What doeft thou?

ment of all things, to answer de. figns the most defirable and excellent, that can be devised, by his infinite wisdom.—God is the author of all things. He has a right to do what he will, with his own. The cattle upon a thousand hills are his. His right to Angels and men is as well founded, as to the beafts of the field. Certainly he has a right to use them, to accomplifh fuch defirable ends.

The dominion of God is necef farily fovereign. He has no fupe rior, or equal with whom he may take counfel. None is able to give it. He can do nothing in any oth

But the fovereignty of God is not the gratification of a capricious fpirit. He does not act like an unreasonable defpot. He is infinitely wife and judicious, in the management of his creatures. He manifefts infinite goodness in his dealings. Doubtless he can affign a fufficient reason, for the creation of the world, and of all his creatures-why he placed them in fucher way, but a fovereign way. He circumftances, under fuch laws, and difpofes of them as he does. He has told us his object: It is the public good, or greatest gen eral happiness. He enriches his creatures, with the best manifesta tions of his own glorious perfections by his administration, and he gratifies his benevolence, and makes all things work together, for the good of them that love him. This is a laudable object. He has wif The fovereignty of God is dedom to devife the means, and pow-firable. If God were unwilling er to accomplish it. He takes his measures, and without afking leave of creatures, who are but of yefterday, pursues his object. He does whatever will in the end best anfwer his main defign. All things were at first created, and are conftantly managed for this end.

muft do what he does, of his own will, without advice or direction. Who was there to tell him how far to extend creation, what government to inftitute a mong his creatures, and how to order the things of his providence? He was obliged to adopt his own plans. "Who hath known the mind of the Lord, and who hath been his counsellor ?"

to take the management of all things into his hands, who would ? Whom could we truft? Who has fufficient wifdom, or power?— Would not his creatures be ready to apply to him, and entreat, that he would not fuffer every thing to He go to ruin? It is defirable that the makes as many worlds, and as ma- general intereft of the universe ny creatures as are neceffary to thould profper. It is a bleffing, it. He orders their circumftan- that he has undertaken to bring it ces, and controls their actions, about. The benevolent rejoice in and will produce the greatest gen- it. It demands the acknowledgeral good, in defiance of all op-ments of all. "The Lord reigns, pofition. All oppofition will in let the earth rejoice, let the multithe end be overruled to fubferve tude of the ifles be glad thereof !" it. Nothing is in vain All things anfwer his benevolent purpofes. This is his fovereignty.

Befides: In the matter of the difpenfations of faving grace, Who fhall tell God how to bestow it?

fings against his government. Men oppofed God, when they rebel againft his laws-when they reply against him, because he has given them fuch fmall abilities-placed them in fuch circumftances-given them fuch feeble conftitutions--and raised them up, in fuch an age and nation and ordered all their circumftances as he has. God faw proper fo to order their circumftances; and diflike to his dealings is replying against him. Oppofition y to God often appears in men, in their being displeased with the gofpel-the terms on which falvation is offered the holinefs and felfdenial which are required-and the duties enjoined. Men fome times are bitter against God's gen. eral providence, because he will not let people have their wills in every thing--because he keeps their state and circumftances in his own hands, and at his own difpofal. He does his will : among the inhabitants of the earth; and fuch as complain reply against God.But men are never more obftinately difpofed to reply against God,

which of us fhall fix on the proper perfons? Shall it be left to every one to do as he thinks fit, about accepting mercy? This would be aftonishing grace. But is it not fo with us? And do not all with one confent refufe it? Shall all then be left to their fatal choice? Shall there be no example of mercy? Some must be left, as veffels of wrath, to fhew his wrath, and make his power known. Whom fhall he take, and whom fhall he leave? He can tell. Let the bufiness remain with him. Thank him that he will attend to it. Let him have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and leave whom he will, to be the monuments of juftice, to answer a neceffary purpose to fupport the energy of his beneficent moral government. All have deserved his wrath, and no one has reafon to complain, if he fuffers it. God knows as well how to order in this matter, as in others and true and righteous are his judgments. None need fear an undeferved or unreasonable punishment. The loft are punished for their crimes, and according to their own doings; and fuch as are pardoned, are faved to the glory of God's mercy, and from the goodness of his heart. He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, while he endures, with much long-fuffering, the veffels of wrath, fitted to deftruction. It lies in his breaft, to deal with criminals according to law and juftice or to renew and pardon them and he perfectly underftands how to difpofe of them, to the best advantage. And let him do it.

in

any thing, than in his difpenfing faving grace, to whom he pleases. The hearts of men are often greatly exafperated against God, on this account. Some fay he is cruel-unjust-a refpecter of perfons, and fome, Why doth he yet find fault with the impenitent; for who hath refifted his will? All, who object against his fovereignty, in this bufinefs, oppofe God. They forget, that they have forfeited all things, and have deferved his wrath. They do not confider that they had nothing but wrath to exI will now make you fome ob- pect, till he offered them mercy; fervations, on that oppofition to nor now, unless they receive it as the fovereignty of God, which fo it is offered; and that they are not often appears among men. to expect, that God will, by his They oppofe, who fault his power, cause them to accept of it, dealings, and entertain heart-ri-unless he pleafes. Such as object,

of mercy to all, if to any-that he ought to renew all, if any, and that he ought to deal with all alike, reply against God. There are thofe, who deny the fovereignty of God, in the difpenfations of his grace. They reply against the teflimony of his word, and the facts, which take place under his government. The oppofition of fome has been daringly expreffed, by faying, 'If I believed this of God, I never would concern my. felf about duty, or futurity, nor care to what lengths of fin against God, I might proceed.'-You will eafily fee, what is implied in oppofing the fovereignty of God. It is replying against any of his adminiftrations.

that God ought to give the offers, of a neceffary, and defirable perfection, the want of which would quite undeify him; and which is proved, even by the very existence of the world! Can you be tempted to deny it, but from a fpirit, which is willing to admit of no fuperior, and will not be dependent? When we can command the earth to provide us bread, forbid disease to approach us, direct the king of terrors to keep at a dif tance, and provide for ourselves, we shall not need a fuperior; till then it is our wifdom to caft ourfelves upon the protection of God, and rejoice in his wife, and univerfal government. Confider, whether it be advisable, for a creature to tell God, that if he extends mercy to one, he muft to all; that he must do no more for one, than for another rebel; that this would be fhowing respect to perfons, though he makes one a véffel to honor, and another to dishonor, with a view to promote the public good, and is not at all influenced, by private affection. If this be unjuft, show him the perfon that is treated worse than he deferves.--What wickednefs to reply against God, for having mercy on whom he will have mercy, and giving over whom he will, to their own way; what prefumption? How awful to fay, if I believed in the fovereignty of God, in choofing the veffels of mercy, I would not care, to what extent of wickednefs I might proceed. Look at this. Is it meet to say this to him who offers mercy, that mercy, which the finner rejects. What if God, willing to fhew his wrath, and make his power known, at prefent endures this from finners, with much long fuffering, while he offers mercy, and while they, as veffels of wrath, are fitting for deftruction? Will they not, in this way, be foon fitted? N

If you, in the anguish of your heart, are fenfible, that you have more or less of this fpirit, I wifh you to reflect ferioufly upon it. Confider well that expreffion of an infpired writer, "Nay, but, O man, who art thou that replieft against God? Shall the thing formed, fay to him that formed it, Why haft thou made me thus ?" You would not ftand forth to give God counsel, tell him what worlds to make what creatures, and what laws to give them-how he fhall deal with criminals-with criminals who reject offered mercy. You would not prefume to tell him, wherein his own glory lies, and by what the interefts of the univerfe may he fecured. Shall a man tell infinite wifdom, what is wife, inftruct Omniscience, teach his maker? And does oppofition to the fovereignty of God, in his adminiftrations, fall much short of this? If you are tempted to difbelieve this fovereignty, I intreat you to confider, whether it be not presumptuous, in a mortal man, to attempt to rob the character of God, VOL. I. No. 3.

They hide their talent, becaufe, your heart. You know by full ex