n to all, in order to save the chosen few! And if he had not
proclaimed this universal offer, by which "the largeness and munificence"
of his mercy are made to _appear_ as "boundless as space," the elect could
not have been saved! If so, is it the real goodness of God, then, or
merely the _appearance_ of universal goodness, that leadeth men to
repentance?

"Any charm," says he, "which there is in Christianity to recall or to
regenerate _some_, lies in those of its overtures which are so framed as
to hold out the offered friendship of God to all:"(218) that is, that
although God intends and seeks to save only a few, he offers the same
salvation to all, to give an efficacious charm to the scheme of
redemption! Indeed, if the Calvinistic scheme of an absolute
predestination be true, then we admit that there is a charm and a glory in
the magnificent delusion, arising from God's offer of friendship to all,
which is not to be found in the truth. But that scheme, as we have seen,
is not true; and also, that the goodness of God is as boundless and
beautiful in reality, as it could possibly be in appearance.

We agree with Dr. Chalmers, that the goodness of God should be viewed, not
through the medium of predestination, but as it shines forth in the light
of the glorious gospel. We agree with him, that "we ought to proceed on
the obvious representations which Scripture gives of the Deity; and _these
beheld in their own immediate light, untinged by the dogma of
predestination. God waiting to be gracious--God not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance--God swearing by himself
that he has no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but rather that all
should come unto him and live--God beseeching men to enter into
reconciliation, and this not as elect, but simply and generally as men and
sinners_;--these are the attitudes in which the Father of the human family
sets himself forth unto the world--these the terms in which he speaks to us
from heaven." It is precisely in this sublime attitude, and in this
transporting light, that we rejoice to contemplate the Father of mercies;
and this view, it must be confessed, is wholly "untinged with the dogma of
predestination."

Conclusion.

A SUMMARY VIEW OF THE PRINCIPLES AND ADVANTAGES OF THE FOREGOING SYSTEM.

There is a lamp within the lofty dome
Of the dim world, whose radiance clear doth show
Its awfu