true, and thus errs through ignorance; yet, because he spoke falsehood, he is a liar, though not morally so. But when we have reason to think he knew better, we consider him as guilty of a crime that lays the axe to the root of all human wisdom and happiness.

How do we now look upon the unbelief of man as making God a liar? Just as we do in ordinary cases, of man refusing credence to his fellow man.

There is another, but not contradictory view of this subject. Remove the comma from after the word God, and place it before it, and then it will stand, he that believeth not, God hath made him, (i. e.) the unbeliever, a liar. And it is well for the poor unhappy infidel, that it is so; for it is his own eternal life that is true, though he denies the fact. Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar. (Rom. iii. 4.) And what is it that now makes man the liar? simply because God says one thing, and man another. The parties are at issue ; whom shall we believe, God, or man? Every man who has any knowledge of God, knows that he must be true, and therefore the falsehood must be with the unbeliever. Now the cause of all this difficulty is, that man hath refused to believe the record, witness, or testimony, that God gave of his Son. But we have not yet heard what God hath witnessed. Will you believe it when you hear it? God grant you may; for we fear that very many who hear it, though they bear the Christian name, are strangers to its truth. And bear also in memory, that, whatever it is, it is true, because it is the word of the Lord.

If God were to condescend to speak to us after a supernatural manner, would we not be all eye, all ear,

all attention? And hath he not done this? Is not all the Divine revelation supernatural? Hear, then, for it is the very life of the soul that is concerned.

Verse 11. And this is the record, (witness, or testi. mony) that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Now, my friends, do you believe this? Perhaps you answer, without hesitation, that you do. Are you sure you do? You reply, that you know no reason why you should not. We perfectly accord with this; yet it will be profitable for us to examine the subject somewhat more minutely, then we shall better understand it. First, it is a gift; and the very idea of a gift prohibits the supposition of any thing, previously agreed to be given in return. A grain of sand given for a world, is barter or sale on both sides, and is not strictly a gift on either. Second, it is the doctrine of grace or favour; for what have we that we could offer to God for that which He here says he hath given? Not that he will give. Third, the thing given is the eternal, the endless life of the soul! Now, what can the creature render to the Creator for that which is above all price? The thing is impossible. Fourth, this life is given us in Christ Jesus, the Son of God. It is happy for us that God hath given this life eternal in his Son; this secures it to us, for he is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. (Heb. xiii. 8.) We would also observe, that the belief of a part of this testimony or record, to the rejection of any part, cannot be considered the belief of the record that God hath given us. Thus, if we believe in the doctrine of salvation by grace, and eternal life given us in ourselves, this could never be eternal life in Christ Jesus. Again, if we believe in life eternal secured for

us in Christ Jesus, on account of our works, or our faith, or of both together, much as we value both the one and the other, but each in its proper place, this would destroy the idea of this life eternal being the gift of God.

We must believe the simple truth of God, and all of it; namely, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Some one may say, what right have I to believe that God hath given this to me? We answer; is it not the very soul and spirit of the glorious Gospel of the blessed God? (1 Tim. i. 11.) Is it not the very thing spoken of by Paul as the Gospel of God, containing blessedness in the promised seed to all nations? (Gal. iii. 8. 16.) Was not the Gospel to be preached to all the world-to every creature? (Mark xvi. 15, 16.) Is it not the duty of those who hear the Gospel to believe it? and, having an opportunity to hear and know its truth, shall we not be condemned if we do not believe it? Again; we may be asked, how can this be true of those who are not yet born of God? We answer, the Gospel is sent to those who do not yet believe it, that they may believe and be saved. And this essence of the Gospel is given us that we may believe. God would not present us an untruth, and bid us to believe it. A parallel case to the spiritually unborn is far from uncommon. A father finds himself on his deathbed, and feels it a duty to dispose of his property by will. Some of his children are of full age, and capable in law of taking possession of the property bequeathed, and using it at their own discretion; some minors, who know their rights, but do not have possession. Guar dians must take possession, and act for them. Some are

infants, who know nothing of their rights; but the law has a special regard for infants, and takes peculiar care of them. But there is one unborn, but expected. Does not the father, by anticipation, see this most helpless of all his orphan children, and make the due provision for it also? This child has rights as good and as secure in law as any of the others, and no man may interfere to injure its claims with impunity. So, the spiritually unborn cannot, by their ignorance, destroy the will of our Heavenly Father, in the rich inheritance of eternal life. When children come to years of discernment, and shut their eyes against the evidence of their title, they can have no enjoyment of it, and must feel all the miseries of poverty; but when the blindness is taken from their eyes, and they see and believe, their poverty vanishes, the sun of prosperity has arisen upon them, and they rejoice exceedingly. So is it spiritually while in unbelief we are in poverty and misery; but when by faith we enter into rest, we know that we are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. (Rom. viii. 17.).

The advantage of having, and the disadvantage of rejecting, this record of God, is given us in

Verse 12. He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life.

No man can possibly be so absurd as to suppose, that by having the Son, is meant the literal possession of the body of the Redeemer; and if not, what can it mean, but the enjoyment of that spiritual life which God hath secured for us in Christ Jesus, and which we hold by the best possible title-the gift of God? This enjoyment is fre from all enthusiasm; it is the calm

and sober conviction of the understanding, that because Jesus lives, we shall live also. (John xiv. 19.) This naturally lifts us above the slavish fear of death; it is the enjoyment of life eternal, it is heaven begun on earth. But may every one enjoy this? Every one who is capa. ble of knowing that the hat or coat he wears is his own, is capable of knowing that eternal life is his own; for he can have no better testimony that the clothes he wears belong to himself, than the witness of God. And he who rejects this testimony sins against his own soul, shuts out the light of life, involves himself in men. tal darkness; has no rational assurance of the understanding that he will exist beyond the present state; in proportion as he loves life must fear death; and fear hath, or is, torment.

and

Verse 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

What did they believe of the Son of God who were ignorant of this life in him? They may have believed that he was the promised Messiah, and that his kingdom was spiritual; but it is evident they were ignorant of the title they had to life in the Son, and it is equally evident that this title existed, and was theirs, when they knew nothing of it; else how could the apostle write to them, that they might know that this life was theirs ; or, in his own emphatic words, "that ye may know that ye have eternal life?" What is the improvement we should make of this subject?

We also may have believed that Christ was the promised Messiah; that his kingdom was spiritual; we may, as his subjects, have been striving to increase our spi.