Sovereign? I don't know that it is so. I hope it will turn out well in the end. I hope so too, dear reader, but look ye! have you openly confessed Christ? "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Have you felt yourself a sinner, and seen Jesus all-sufficient for your case. Have you turned to God for pardon through his Son? He has said, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." He has declared that unless men repent they shall all perish. And remember, that repentance which is unto salvation is a change of mind, God-ward-a humble and hearty desire and determination to love and serve God. And what is the will of God? That you believe on and obey his Son who died for you. Yes! remember he died for you, whether you believe or not; whether you are saved or not—if you will reject him, still it is true, he died for you. And what does he command? As we have said, that you confess him, declare yourself his servant that he may declare you his friend-that you be baptized into his name; stand with his church in the conflict against sin and evil-contend earnestly for the faith; cease to do evil, learn to do well; put off every weight and the easily besetting sin, and press towards the mark for the prize, the crown of everlasting life.

Such are his requirements. No good thing does he ask you to give up-no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. "Godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life which now is and of that which is to come." O remember that the future life is everlasting, and that God desires to manifest to you and in you during the eternal age the riches of his love through Christ Jesus, and that you know not what a day or an hour may bring forth. Small, indeed, may be the time left you for preparation. A few hours may close your earthly career, and the next dread scene be the great white throne set for judgment. Consider yourself as before that throne-endeavour to realize the truth that there you will appear-that every secret of your heart will be known-that every excuse with which you have cheated yourself or deceived others will be laid bare-that every hard speech against Christ will be revealed-that nothing will remain hidden-that each will receive according to the deeds done in the body-that unless you can truthfully plead sinlessness you have but one means of escape,-Christ, the way, the

truth and the life.

life is in his Son.

Yes God has given us eternal life and that Whosoever hath the Son has life, but whosoever hath not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. You will not be able to put on Christ at the judgment. Now is the day of salvation.

time, 'tis madness to defer."

"Be wise in

D. K.

SCEPTICAL DIFFICULTIES.

THE following queries were submitted to me by a sceptic, who desired a public reply to them :-I. Who placed Adam in Eden? II. Who placed the temptation before him? III. Why was an imperfect nature given him? Some remarks on these questions may be of service. They relate to our origin and fall, subjects which merit most searching thought.

I. WHO PLACED ADAM IN EDEN? The object of this query being to ascertain how man came into existence, we begin by alluding to certain false notions respecting his origin. Some affirm that man came into being by accident. If so, we have before us such a mysterious problem as no one can solve: one, however, which has not the faintest reason to sustain it. Who can conceive that chance could produce a living and intellectual being, and that it should also, at the same time and in the same locality, create a similar being exactly suiting the intellectual, moral, and physical organization of the former? If chance ever performed such a prodigy, what is to prevent occasional repetitions of like wonders? We might as reasonably expect chance to bring myriads of miscellaneous letters into a volume of logical chapters on creation, as to assemble in one person various mysterious properties, constituting him an exquisite living organization of body, soul and spirit. Hence we affirm the absolute absurdity of the idea of creation by mere chance or accident.

Again it is asserted that man was originally an inferior animal, and that he has by generation gradually attained his present organization. This is an ignorant and degrading thought. It is astonishing how men of seeming intelligence can entertain such an unfounded notion. It is true that animals undergo alteration in size, features, colour, &c., by change of locality, climate, and by generation; but one species never merges into another. If one species happens to become pregnant by another, it is a fixed law in nature that the issue

will not generate. This law preserves animals in their primeval organization. Without it, animal creation would become mongrel. So man's organization is the same now as when he first breathed the breath of life. The mummy and fossil remains of men who lived in the early ages of the world are positive proof that man retains his original constitution. This shews the absurdity of supposing man the offspring of the brute creation!

Our first parents derived not their being by birth, nor were they created in a state of helpless infancy; for death would have been their immediate end, unless there was one to act as nurse. This is so intuitively clear that it needs no proof. I may say, without fear of successful contradiction, that had man, in his full-grown state, been placed in an uncultivated part of the world, without knowledge or experience respecting himself and the objects around him, he could not have sustained life. Even a man who has had many years' experience in civilized life would find it a difficult task to sustain himself in a desert, destitute of almost all the common necessaries of life. Very little reflection, therefore, will lead to the conclusion that man was created in the possession of no inconsiderable amount of knowledge. Therefore the only way by which we can rationally suppose man came into being is by creation, and that his Creator provided him subsistence, taught him his requirements, and the nature and purpose of objects which were necessary to his immediate use. Such is the Bible history of his origin, and it is the only history which reason approves. (Gen. i. 26-29. See ii. 7-9, 15-29.) This simple history of the origin of our race is no little honour to the Bible, seeing that it explains satisfactorily in a single paragraph what the boasted philosophy of the infidel world has speculated upon for thousands of years and left, after all, in perplexing darkness.

II. WHO PLACED THE TEMPTATION BEFORE HIM? Temptation s an enticement prompting to evil. A temptation was preented to the "mother of all living" by an enemy, but not by God. Respecting the temptation I may briefly say, that our primeval parents were duly informed, cautioned, and blessed with intellectual and moral ability to withstand it. The oppoite supposition is an impeachment of the wisdom and goodness of God.

If it be said that "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil"

was presented by the Creator as a temptation, we simply deny it. Its grand object was, that man should by it manifest his subordination, loyalty, fidelity, and reverence to his Creator, which is his most reasonable service. Such a law as the one connected with this tree is commonly termed positive, in contradistinction to moral laws. By moral laws we mean those which arise out of the nature of the varied relations which exist in society. Our observance of these is no direct proof of our love and fidelity to God (though at the same time they are essential to our acceptance with him) for many observe them to a goodly extent, who pay no regard to their Author. Positive laws are of another class; they emanate from sovereignty. Of this order was the law respecting "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." It was not to be touched, and its fruit was not to be eaten. The Creator was just and kind in reserving only one object to himself out of the many thousands which he created for the interest and happiness of man. And by reserving this one object by his sovereign law he afforded man the inestimable privilege of manifesting his loyalty and reverence. This he was bound gratefully to do for the beautiful inheritance given him—a world destined to afford him every enjoyment. We, therefore, conclude that "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" was designed for our welfare and happiness. Positive or sovereign laws are found in every age, which teach man to yield direct obedience to God. It is a lamentable fact that they are frequently slighted, even by some religious people; but the enlightened and willing disciples of Christ will ever appreciate and gladly obey them.

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III. WHY WAS THERE AN IMPERFECT NATURE GIVEN TO MAN? No part of creation is defective in such a way that we can regard it as a failure. When God created our world he saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good." Man, though "made a little lower than the angels," is fearfully and wonderfully made." He has ever been an object of interesting study to himself, and no doubt to celestial beings also. Though he has been studied by the most ingenious and philosophic minds for nearly six thousand years, the perfections and wonders of his nature are yet unsolved!

66 Oh! what a miracle to man is man !"

We cannot entertain the thought that God ever planted any thing in his constitution which would necessarily cause him to

commit crime. Such a thought is a reflection on our Maker. But man has sinned and fallen from his pristine glory. Creation is conducted on the principle of progression. This world was once "without form and void." It gradually advanced from day to day towards completion. And is it not destined to advance to far greater perfection yet? Progression is seen in most things upon the earth, in vegetation, animals, &c. Now respecting all these it may be said that their first state, though perfect for the time being, is imperfect compared with their nature condition. It is precisely so with man. He passes through several stages before he attains manhood, in all which he is comparatively imperfect, and more liable to injury than in manhood. I apprehend that even his perfect manhood was never designed to be his final state. If sin and death had not entered the world, it is evident that man would have been destined to some change in his organization or habitation; for this world would in process of time have been found too small to accommodate the teeming myriads of his race. What would have thus been the final condition of man we cannot say; but this we can affirm, by the Word of the Lord, that he does not attain his final state in this life. So in view of all the premises before us, we perceive that man is still in his infancy, immatured, imperfect, compared with his final state of incorruption, and hence we conclude that his fall took place at an early period of his being. As progression is the grand order of creation, perhaps it is not allowable, strictly speaking, to use the term imperfect in relation to any part of it.

This before us let us observe how man became a sinful being. He is composed of a three-fold being-body, soul, and spirit. Or, in other words, his triune nature consists of flesh, propensities or passions, and an intellectual spirit. "The tree of the knowledge of good and evil" addressed itself to these three parts of his nature; to his judgment, passions, and person. Observing the laws and counsels of their Creator, Adam and Eve maintained the supremacy of their spiritual being— they lived uprightly. But on their fall, they, contrary to the counsels of their Creator, and to their own judgment, allowed their fleshly propensities to subjugate their higher nature. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and