comes the servant of Christ to conform, that he may render himself more acceptable and be more useful, it may not be amiss to specify the article of dress. With respect to apparel, perhaps there can be no better rule given than the following Dress yourself in such a man pears fixed like a rock in the sea dashed with the foaming billows. Without deviating in the least from that consistency, which constitutes the beauty, felicity and glory of the Christian character, we find him at one time declaring, "If meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no meat while the world stand-ner that no particular notice eth," shaving his head and pu- may be taken of it. The mode rifying himself in the temple- of dress is continually fluctuacircumcising Timothy that he ting, and so far as decency, conmight give no offence to the venience and usefulness are reJews, though he knew the cer- garded, religion has as little to emonial institutions were abol- do with one as with another.ished and that he had a right If any fashion be introduced, to claim his liberty; again we trespassing upon either of these hear him expressing himself in rules, it surely behoves those, the following decisive language; who are called to be saints, and "But though we, or an angel who would wish to do all the from heaven preach any other good in their power, not to corgospel than that which we have form. Singularity when thus preached unto you, let him be rendered necessary, though it accursed."Again, we find him may expose to reproach, is nev-. withstanding Peter to his face, ertheless commendable. To apbecause he was to be blamed for pear the first in the fashion, is his dissimulation, in keeping up an object below the Christian a distinction between Jews and character. It is not agreeable believing Gentiles, who were to the directions of the apostle one in Christ Jesus. While in on this subject. According to the exercise of self-denial, he him the adorning of a follower had learned to give up his own of the blessed Jesus should not right, and suffer great personal be that outward adorning of plaitinconvenience, for the sake of ing the hair, and of wearing of benefitting others; he had learn- gold, or of putting on of appared, also, to be scrupulously ex-el; but it should be the hidden act in maintaining that system man of the heart, in that which of evangelical truth, by the is not corruptible, even the orknowledge, the love and prac-nament of a meek and quiet tice of which alone, God can be glorified and sinners saved. While he was ready to labor with his own hands, that the gospel might not be chargeable, he steadfastly maintained the right of those who preach the gospel to live of the gospel. In mentioning things of an innocent or indifferent nature, with respect to which, it be spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. So with respect to modes of civility, such as shaking hands, taking off the hat, making obeisance and the like, it is undoubtedly our duty to conform, provided there be nothing in the custom derogatory from that profound homage we owe our Creator. In the obeisance which tures do not speak of the resur rection of the wicked, who die in their sins, as a benefit obtain the proud courtier Haman required, and which it is probable was customarily paid him, which however humble Mordecai re-ed for them by Christ's media fused to render, it is reasonable to conclude there was something sacrilegious and profane, as the ground of his refusal. Thus were a traveller providentially cast among Papists, it would be his duty to refuse compliance with their idolatrous rites. Should he bow to the consecrated host, he would offend the God who is above, who is jealous of his honor, will not give his glory unto another, not even to the highest angel in heaven, much less to a consecrated wafer. (To be continued.) Q. and R. DIALOGUE. On the Resurrection. 8. STR IR, I have several times tion. They do not represent their resurrection as a favor or blessing, conferred upon themby Christ. But whilst the resurrection of the saints is foretold and promised, as an unspeakable blessing, and the fruit of Christ's mediation; that of the wicked seems rather to be revealed and denounced, as a curse. According to Daniel, Of the many who sleep in the dust of the earth, when they shall awake, some shall awake to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." And Christ said, "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation." The bodies of the saints will be raised by Christ, and fashioned like unto his glorious or glorified body, that they may reign with him in life for everthat, in a state of re-union with their souls made perfect in holiness, they may eternally share with them in all the glory and happiness of the heavenly state. But the bodies of the wicked will be raised for a directly contrary purpose-that in a re-union with their souls abandoned to the dominion of perfect wickedness, they may participate with The scriptures inform us, them in the pains of the second "That there shall be a resurrec-death, by having their part in ⚫tion of the dead, both of the just the lake which burneth with fire and unjust." They also teach and brimstone. Therefore, whilst us, that the wicked, as well as the righteous are, with propriethe righteous, will be raised by ty, said to come forth to the reChrist. But I think the scrip-surrection of life; the wicked R. Sir, I will cheerfully attempt it; hoping, if my ideas are not according to truth, that you, or some other person, will set me right. may be said to come forth to the dience unto death, and of his resurrection of death-the se- resurrection as their head. Therecond death, that death which is, fore, the apostle, after the last emphatically, the wages of sin.cited words, so in Christ shall alt Is it possible, then, to conceive | be made alive, immediately adds, of the resurrection of the wick-" But every man in his own ored, as a privilege or blessing, der: Christ the first fruits; afprocured for them by the media terward they that are Christ's at tion of Christ? his coming." And by them that Q. But doth not the apostle are Christ's the apostle, elsespeak of it in this light? where where explains himself to mean, he says, "But now is Christ them that are in Christ, who walk risen from the dead, and become not after the flesh, but after the the first fruits of them that slept. spirit-in whom the Spirit of For since by mati came death, God dwellswho have the Spiby man came also the resurrec-rit of Christ, and through the tion of the dead. For as in Ad-Spirit mortify the deeds of the am all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 Cor. xv. 20, 21, 22. body, and crucify the flesh with: the affections and lusts; in opposition to those who indulge, and live in, and practise the works of the flesh; and who of course, shall not inherit the R. I am sensible that some consider these words as proving, that the resurrection of all man kind is a fruit of Christ's media-kingdom of God.* It is accordtion or redemption, and to be ingly remarkable, that throughconsidered as a benefit which out this fifteenth chapter to the he hath obtained for every one Corinthians, the apostle speaks of the human race. But how of the resurrection of none exthat resurrection, which is not cept them that are Christ's-of to life, but to damnation to suf-none but true believers and real fer the pains of the second death, Christians, whose bodies will be in the lake which burneth with raised in glory, spiritual, incorfire and brimstone, can be justly ruptible, and immortal. Of these considered as a privilege or ben-only, and of this blessed resurrec← efit of Christ's mediation, to the tion of life, doth the apostle treat subjects of it, I do not under-in this chapter; but says not a stand, nor can I conceive. Nor do I think the apostle, in the cited passage, or in any other, meant to teach any such thing. But the apostle's meaning is to this effect, viz. As in Adam, all that are his, even all his poster-that any others, or any of the fiity, die, in consequence of his nally wicked, would be raised disobedience so in Christ, all from the dead, if it was not rethat are his, all whom the Fa- vealed in and confirmed by other ther gave him effectually to re-passages of scripture. deem and save, and who become vitally united to him by faith, really in him, shall be made alive, in consequence of his obe- v. 19--24. word about the resurrection of any other characters, or of any other resurrection, than that which will be unto life, and a happy and glorious immortality. Nor should we certainly know, Q. But since death, even tem *See Rom. viii. 1, 9, 13, and Gal. shalt surely die." But the sentence upon Adam, particularly, was in these words, "Because poral or bodily death, came by sin, would not Adam's offspring have been subject to it, in case there had been no mediator orthou hast hearkened unto the redemption? But in that case, can it be supposed that they would be raised again? And will it not, therefore, follow, that the resurrection of even the wicked, is a fruit of Christ's mediation or redemption? In this sentence, the word death, or die, is not once used, and perhaps no other word sig nifiying the same thing, that was intended by dying, in the penal voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and R. We cannot tell what would thistles shall it bring forth unto have been, in case no mediator thee: and thou shalt eat the had been appointed, nor any herb of the field. In the sweat provision made for the redemp-of thy face shalt thou eat tion or salvation of fallen man. bread, till thou return unto the Whether, in that case, Adam, ground; for out of it wast thou after his fall, would have been taken for dust thou art, and continued on the earth, to propa-unto dust shalt thou return." gate his race whether he would have had any posterity or not, are questions, which we are totally unable to answer. But as God had appointed a mediator, and determined upon the planty originally annexed to disobeof redemption by Christ, he was dience.-Is it not most agreeable pleased, after man's disobedience, to the tenor of the scriptures, to before he passed any sentence view the case pretty much in apon him, to intimate his gra- this point of light? viz. That cious design, by the declaration in consequence of the mediato in the sentence passed on the rial interposition of Christ, the serpent, that the seed of the wo- full execution of the originat man should bruise his head. And penalty was suspended, and man in consequence of the mediato-placed in a state of trial upon rial interposition, things were placed upon a new footing with respect to man, and a new state of trial commenced, under circumstances very different from what was otherwise to have been expected. It is accordingly observable, that when God had arraigned our first parents, and brought them to a confession of their transgression, after intimating his gracious design, he passed a sentence on them, but in language very different from that of the original threatening. The threatening was "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou the mediatorial plan, which was to continue several thousands of years, and in which all those things were to take place, which were but best calculated to answer all the purposes designed by God to be accomplished under this new dispensation and state of trial: and particularly, various testimonials and expressions of his holy displeasure against mankind for their sin: and that among these testimonies of God's displeasure, this of their returning to the dust, one after another, in constant succession, should hold a distinguished place, Q. But temporal, bodily death came by sin. R. True, it did. So likewise did the thorns and thistles, and all the noxious plants and weeds, with which the earth hath abounded, since man transgressed, and God cursed the ground for his sake. And so likewise do all the pains and sorrows and af as a very striking evidence and | sensible expressions of God's inproof of his great and constant dignation and wrath. displeasure at their wickedness, and of its certain issue in the utter and everlasting ruin of all, who do not repent, and obtain forgiveness in the revealed way, through a mediator. And further, that when all the purposes are accomplished, which God designed to have effected under this new dispensation, then Christ will come to make a final settle-flictions of every kind, with ment, and raise up all who had which any are distressed in the returned to the dust, to receive present life. All these come by their respective rewards-that sin, are procured by it and fruits he will then raise those, who, and consequences of it, and exby faith in him and obedience pressions of God's holy displeasto the gospel, complied with the ure against it. But it doth not proposed terms of forgiveness from hence follow, that these and eternal life, to enter upon are the very same evils, either and inherit the kingdom prepar- in kind or degree, that were ined for them, as the effect of tended by death or dying in the God's free love, and as the fruit original threatening. So, altho and reward of his mediation and bodily death came by sin, yet if merits and those, who, by un- doth no more follow from thence, belief and continued disobedi- that it is the very same thing ence, rejected the proposed plan that was meant in the first threatof forgivness and salvation, and ening; but, like the thorns and died in their sins, to receive the thistles and numerous afflictions, wages, the due reward of sin, it may be a temporary thing, pethe penalty of disobedience, by culiar to the state of trial introenduring the pains of the sec-duced by Christ's mediatorial inond death in the burning lake, terposition, and suited to answer with such increased intenseness, the purposes of divine Provias will be answerable to the in-dence during the continuance of creased guilt of those, who lived this state. And as the sacrifices under, and slighted and abused, offered for sin, before the coming the light and grace exhibited in of Christ, were called atonethe gospel. And thus the death ments, not because they made a at last inflicted on those, who re- real and satisfactory atonement ceived not the benefits of Christ's for sin, but because they prefigredemption, may explain what ured and represented, and were was meant by dying, when or- shadows or types of the true aiginally threatened as the penal-tonement, which Christ hath ty of disobedience, the wages of sin-even complete everlasting misery of the whole man in both soul and body, in a total exclusion from all good and abandonment to all evil, under since made by his own blood; so man's return to the dust, when, to the eye of sense, he is totally and finally cut off from life and all good, and all his hope and happiness destroyed and |