of attaining to that presence. How God could be pleased with sufferings voluntarily incurred for so Godlike a purpose as the making sinners, holy; perishing sinners, heirs of eternal glory. How Christ's righteousness can be imputed to us-He being only thereby able to offer an acceptable sacrifice, through which alone we can attain to a life of glory in heaven. We can further perceive how, though death was to be a state of suffering, it could be finished, when His soul being exceeding sorrowful, even unto death, God's spirit departed from Him. All these, which are unintelligible on one scheme, are so plain, that he that runs may read on the other. Which, 1 will ask, best vindicates its title to be light from heaven, to guide the simple unto knowledge?

The attributes of God, the gospel principles of religion and morality, our Saviour's words, and the scheme of Christianity, all exclude the horrid doctrine, against which we contend. So the writings of the apostles will be found no less repugnant to it; and obscure and unintelligible as many passages in the epistles are, whilst viewed through the medium of this misconception, they become what they were meant to be, revealed mysteries, when we conceive the apostles to speak of man, as by nature mortal; and of themselves as God's instruments, offering to mortal creatures an immortality of happiness. Let any one go through the following extracts with this impression on his mind, and I will then submit to him, my solution of the discordant

Col. i. 26. "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is manifest to his saints."

texts, to be rejected if he can offer any meaning of them, whereby the writings of the apostles are made more intelligible.

I proceed by asserting that the apostle Paul, in all his epistles, never alludes to such a consequence as an eternal existence in misery, but virtually excludes it by declaring that we "of the flesh, reap corrup tion," that "the wages of sin is death;" and in the epistle to the Phillipians iii. 11. "If, by any means, I might attain to the resurrection from the dead," implying that those who have no faith in Christ, have no share in the resurrection to life, because, when they come to judgment, they are dead already.

Of St. Peter and the other apostles, in the same manner it will be found true, that they understood not our Saviour to threaten Eternal Misery and when the beauty, and force, and eloquence of their language is considered, it never can be imagined, that by corruption, perishing, destruction, darkness, death, and the second death, can be meant eternal existence; especially since St. Peter and St. Jude, in similar language, declare that those who "walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness-as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption." 2 Peter, ii. 10.

That the apostles, then, whom the Holy Spirit guided into all truth, understood our Saviour in the sense I contend for, is apparent, from what they say, and from what they omit: and this, which by itself would be sufficient to overthrow an error less firmly rooted, as concurring with what has gone before cannot be gainsaid.

Extracts from the Epistles and the Revelation of St. John, with Comments.

St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, c. i. v. 3. "Concerning His son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David, according to the flesh: 4. And declared to be the son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."

Then Christ was dead, in the sense in which it was spoken, in the day thou sinnest, thou shalt surely die; because He was made of the seed of David ac cording to the flesh, and was raised from the dead: He suffered the curse then in its full import.

16. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth."

But to none else can it be explained, why existence, which is by the power of God too, should be given; when happiness, which is the end for which conscious, or sentient existence is given, is unattainable. 17. "The just shall live by faith."

How shall the unjust live? by the strength of their arm, and the power of their might?

18. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness."

Then we can see its effects; what are they? The destruction of all that is peculiar to man, as distinguished from his parent earth; the gradual extinction of the faculties, whereby he has "large discourse of reason, looking before and after;" and then of those he has in common with the brutes.

23. "And changed the glory of the uncorruptible: God into an image made like to corruptible man."

Either the body is an essential part of the man, or it could not make him corruptible. If it be an essential part and corruptible, then he cannot be immortal without a new creation; and we know who those are, who are in Christ new creatures.. Man must have been infinitely good, to be eternally: growing worse, and yet not be reduced to nothing. If man was to cease to grow worse, he must then be incorruptible, which he can only become by the resurrection to life, or by being destroyed.

32. "Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things, are worthy of death; not only do the same, but have pleasure in those that do them,"

This must be read, "are worthy of eternal existence in misery," if death means only the loss of happiness; I am yet to see the man who shall define eternity, and who knows what he cannot understand.-I principally allude to the assertion, "who know that they are worthy."

ii. 5. "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."

Hardness of heart, implies insensibility, and the wrath is in proportion to it, and death is the consummation of it; insensibility and death may be eternal, and must be, when once they have taken place without a new creation; the rising to judgment is no less: but will God give eternal existence to those who are without hope? or will he not take from them the talent, and give it to those who have

improved their former trust? To those who seek glory, honour, and immortality, He gives eternal life. What can the wicked possess that is eternal, which is neither immortality nor eternal life?

6. "Who will render unto every man according to his deeds. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality; eternal life. 8. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil; of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile."

“Indignation and wrath." This must mean after the most perfect manner of men; now to what extent would they be carried by a good man? not beyond that which would be necessary to prevent the existence of evil, and for that to withdraw abused talents.

10. "But glory, honour, and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. 12. For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law."

What is life? It is the enjoyment of all our faculties, in the highest possible degree: to perish must include the loss of all these faculties, and that of the very organization on which these depend. What then remains? will it be said the soul? that is the spirit of God united to the dust of the earth-the spirit is withdrawn-the body is cast out. Depart from me, ye cursed. Is it the spirit? that is imperishable, and returns to God who gave it then man perishes, and the scripture is fulfilled.

iii. 16. "Destruction and misery are in their ways."