his good pleasure, which lie hath purposed in himself; that, in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." Philippians ii. 9, 10, 11. "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." .Col. i. 19, 20. "For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell; and (having made peace through the blood of his cross) by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven.'

As it is necessary here to close the testimony, on which we rest the proposition, that St. Paul was a believer in, and a preacher of the glorious doctrine of universal salvation, your speaker begs the privilege of assuring his christian friends, that he has not, in any instance, quoted the testimony of the apostle, with a design to misapply such testimony, or to give it any false colouring; and he is perfectly satisfied that whoever will, with suitable candor, examine all these quotations, in their connexions, will come to the conclusion, which has been vindicated in this discourse. And while having in view the never-failing source of comfort and consolation, presented us in this faith; and being fully satisfied of its indispensable utility in the emendation of the morals of society, he closes with the words of the apostle. "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."

SERMON XV.

JACOB'S LADDER.

DELIVERED IN PROVIDENCE, R. I., NOVEMBER 20, 1822.

GENESIS XXVIII. 17.

"How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of Heaven.”

WITH Confidence in the parental blessing, and in obedience to his Father's command, the father of the twelve tribes journied from the habitation of Isaac in Bersheba, in the land of promise, to Haran. In a temperate climate, as the sun went down, and the shades of night and the fatigues of the journey invited him to rest, he sought no lodg ing but the earth, no pillow but the stones of the place. While quiet repose refreshed his wearied frame, celestial visions replenished his longing mind with the clearest manifestations of divine truth. "He dreamed, and behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth; and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in thee, and in thy seed, shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest,

and will bring thee again into this land, for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, how dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

The attention of the hearer is now invited to the consideration of this question; What is it that constitutes any place the house of God, and the gate of heaven?

We shall answer first in the negative. A house designed for public worship, ever so wisely planned and nicely executed in every part, according to the best rules and models of architecture; constructed on the most convenient and accommodating plan possible to be devised; ornamented in the most rich and costly manner; adorned with representations of saints and angels, of the ever-blessed Saviour of the world, in all the variety of his character, from the manger to the cross, and from the cross to his Father's right hand in glory; and with the awful name, JEHOVAH, in broad letters of gold, conspicuously stationed, so as to strike the eye of every worshipper at the same moment, would by no means constitute the place the house of God, and the gate of heaven.

Call a solemn assembly for the purpose of dedicating the house, with all its furniture and orna ments, to the Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth, and let this be done in the most devout manner, and still the place may remain neither the house of God, nor the gate of heaven.

Proceed still further; get a clergyman of the brightest endowinents; of great genius, brilliant abilities, extensive acquirements, a profound student, a sound divine, according to strict orthodoxy, possessed of the most charming eloquence, and let him officiate in the house dedicated to God, according to all the injunctions of his office, all does not

constitute the place the house of God, and the gate

of heaven.

None of the things which have been mentioned distinguished the place where the father of the twelve tribes reposed, where he saw the vision of God, which place he said was dreadful, none other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven. Here had been no designs of architecture drawn, the hand of no artist had laboured, no stately dome had been raised here for the worship of God, no altar had been erected, no priest had kindled the holy fire, no bleeding lamb had been offered for sacrifice. It was on the earth that the patriarch reclined, the rude stones of the place were his pillow. This was the dreadful place which he called none other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven; and that which constituted it so was, 1st. The special presence of God. Jacob said, Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it

not."

2d. A ladder set upon the earth, whose top reaches to heaven, on which the angels of God ascend and descend.

3d. A divine manifestation of the covenant of promise, which God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And,

4th. The testimony of the divine Being, that he would keep the patriarch in all places whither he should go, and never leave him nor forsake him, until he had fulfilled his promise.

The ladder which Jacob saw, reaching from earth to heaven, on which the angels of God ascended and descended, was a representation of the Messiah or Christ. Jesus said to Nathaniel; "Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man." This ladder may be very justly styled "the gate of heaven," for it reaches from earth to heaven, and is a passage-way from one to the other. Jesus says; "I I am the way, the truth, and the life." Again;

"I am the door of the sheep." Again; "No man cometh to the Father but by me.

In order to bring our general subject into so small a compass as to be most easily comprehended at one view, we may say, that the house of God consists of his family, his laws, his government, the provisions which are necessary for food and raiment; and the gate of heaven is Christ and his doctrine, which is the way, the truth, and the life. Wherever our heavenly Father is pleased to make a manifestation of these his glories, there is the house of God, and the gate of heaven.

God's family, according to the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, consists of all the nations, all the families, and all the kindreds of the earth. Man, wherever he is found, is the offspring of God. Let his condition be what it may, he is the offspring of God. From the most profound and enlightened philosopher, to the most rude and uncultivated, yea, even to the idiot; from the saint whose faith explores the glory of an immortal state, and whose bosom burns with the celestial fire of divine, unbounded charity, down to the most stupid unbeliever, who, destitute of charity, feels no affection but for himself, and whose god is his sensual passions, all are the offspring of an universal Parent, who is God over all blessed for evermore. "Have we not all one father; hath not one God created us ?" This sacred text supposes that God is the Father of all whom he created.

That for which we have here contended is fully approved and confirmed by the acknowledged fact, that all men are equally amenable to the laws and government of the supreme. If any are disposed to deny that all men are the children of God, if they at all regard consistency, they must also deny that all are accountable to his laws. The laws of a parent extend no farther than to His children; his neighbour has a right to control his own offspring. What we here state is no more than is