ment. The book of Job exhibits the Deity, not in his peculiar and tutelary relation to the Jews, as the God of Abraham; but in his general and transcendental character, as the God of all the earth, " in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind." Ch. xii. 10.

"Hence Job did collect, that God accepteth not the person of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands,' Ch. xxxiv. 19. "Hence also did he infer, that he was obliged to deal fairly with his own servants, for that God in judgment would consider their case no less than his. Did not He that made me in the womb, make him, and did not One fashion us?'" Ch. xxxi. 15. Barrow on Universal Redemption, vol. iii. p. 304.

SECTION XXXIV.

The Psalms.

THOUGH many of these hymns have an exclusive relation to David and the Israelites, there are others which refer to all the nations of the earth, and which treat of the moral and providential government of God over all nations. Thus the eighth (“O Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the world," &c.) and nineteenth psalms ("The earth is the Lord's, and all that therein is," &c.) plainly describe the Deity under his general relation to all men, and not under his peculiar relation to the Jews. In other psalms all men are exhorted to love and fear God:-" Let all the earth fear the Lord," &c. Psal. xxxiii. "Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him," &c. Psal. lxv. "O let the nations rejoice and be glad, for thou shalt judge the people righteously," &c. Psal. xcvi. Say unto the Heathen, the Lord reigneth," &c. Psal. xcvii. "The Lord

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reigneth, let the earth rejoice, let the multitude of the isles be glad thereof," &c. Psal. xcviii. "With righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. Sing unto the Lord all ye lands," &c. "For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting," &c. Psal. c. "The Lord is loving unto every man, and his mercy is over all his works. Psal. cxlv. "O that men would praise the ness," &c. Psal. cvii.

Lord for his good"O praise the Lord

all ye Heathen, praise Him all ye nations," &c. Psal. cxvii.

Such passages clearly intimate that David extended the mercies of God over all mankind, and that he was far from excluding the Heathen from the hope of eternal happiness. "Let every thing which hath breath praise the Lord."

SECTION XXXV.

Elijah and the Widow.-B. C. 900.

ZAREPHATH, or Sarepta, was a city in the neighbourhood of Sidon, and thither the prophet Elijah was sent, to escape the persecution of Ahab. It was a country of Pagans and idolaters, but God sent his prophet there when he could no longer be safe amongst the people of Israel.

He came to a poor widow, who " had nothing more than a cake and a handful of meal, with a little oil in a cruse, and who was gathering two sticks, that she might go in and dress it for herself and her son, that they might eat it, and die." 1 Kings xvii. 12. A surprising miracle was performed, by which Elijah, the widow, and her son, were sustained on this small pittance of food. After a while, the widow's son grew sick, and died; but, on the earnest prayer and solicitation of Elijah, "his soul came into him again, and he revived," ver. 22. When it is remembered, that all this

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was done in the case of a poor Heathen *, it naturally brings us back to our general conclusion respecting their salvability. Nor can we be blamed for interpreting such passages in favour of our argument, since Jesus has adduced this very anecdote for a similar purpose." I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, yet unto none of them was he sent, but to Sarepta, a city of Sidon." Luke iv. 25, 26.

She had been brought up in gross darkness and idolatry, in utter ignorance of the Lord God of Israel; or, if she had heard of his name, which is all that seems probable, she had been taught to disbelieve the mighty wonders of his hand, and was still less likely to believe his prophet. It appears, therefore, that she must have been wrought upon by an unmixed principle of humanity."-Sterne's Sermons. For many instances of similar humanity see Parke's Travels in Africa.