ambition was to prove the testimony of Jesus Christ false, even by himself. When his prophets proclaimed his boundless mercy and exceedingly abundant grace, my prophets would prove the testimony false by various passages from that volume, denominated the word of God; but the master-stroke of my policy was, to make mankind believe that what was said to me and my angels, was said of the families of the earth. The moment I gained my point in thus persuading them, I was convinced the day was my own.

"Believing that the goats represented their nature and not mine, they believed that the testimony of all God's holy prophets was not true, that Christ Jesus could not be the Saviour of all men, that all the families of the earth could not be blessed in Christ; and thus my servants reasoned upon the subject.

"How is it possible that all the families of the earth can be blessed in Christ Jesus, when he himself curses the greater part of them out of himself? Thus I constrained them to believe that the glad tidings said to be unto all people, could be intended only to a few selected from all people; and I was so successful, that among the few who considered themselves believers, not one in a thousand, although considering themselves children of God as believers, ever believed what Abraham believed; and now their doom is irrevocably fixed. The event has established my testimony beyond contradiction. I confess it is beyond my expectation; for while I did all in my power to prevent mankind from believing the gospel preached unto Abraham, I firmly believed it myself. Hence my terrors at the appearance of this seed, the Messiah, the Shilo, to whom it was said the gathering of the people should be. I conceived my torment and my total defeat was then perfected; and upon my expulsion from the man among the tombs, I ventured to ask, Art thou come to torment us before the time? I knew it was the Son of God, and I was greatly appalled when he sent me from my dwelling among the tombs, and mortified to be reduced to the necessity of soliciting a habitation in a herd of swine. But it seems I have been deceived, and my words have at last proved true!"

I

say, should the catastrophe be as we are taught, language like this might with propriety be found in the mouth of the foe of God and man; and, indeed, the adversary has been described in this town, by a preacher in the sacred desk, as uttering words abundantly more arrogant and taunting than those I have selected, and this with the laudable purpose of inducing sinners to increase the little flock of the Redeemer.

But I have not so learned Christ. I believe him to be the complete, unequivocal Saviour of the world, the complete, unequivocal Saviour of all men; the true promised seed, in whom all the families of the earth are blessed; the true Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world; the true bread of God, that came down from heaven to give life to the world; the true propitiation for the sins of the world; the complete destroyer of the devil, and all his works; the true heir of all things; the possessor and owner of all things, for and by whom all things were made, and in whom the divine Nature was reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing unto them their trespasses; but who, when all we like sheep had gone astray, laid on him, the second Adam, the iniquities of us all, that he, as the Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world, might put them away by the sacrifice of himself.

Thus believing, I have entered into rest; thus believing, I can pray for all men in faith, nothing doubting. Should I, by thus believing, differ from you, I am persuaded you will not feel the less affection for me; and if you should, it will be my consolation, that our common Father will never be offended with me, for yielding full credit to all the gracious words that hath proceeded out of his mouth; who spake as never man spake. He will never condemn me for setting my seal to the truth of a testimony delivered by himself, and by those who have received the teachings of his blessed spirit.

For myself, as I am persuaded of the love of God, of the unbounded love of God, and that no man can know the things of God but by the spirit of God, I never can consider you as blame-worthy, for differing from me. I am persuaded you do the best that in your power lays; and in thus doing, you do well, act nobly; angels could no more. If you think destruction eternal, and I believe destruction will come to a final end, we must wait for the day of the Lord, which will reveal whatever is necessary to instruct, and illumine the mind of man.

I am charmed with the close of your letter; you there speak like yourself, and of our Saviour, as you are wont to do. O, if you had never had any teaching, but the teaching of that spirit which takes of the things of Jesus, and shews them to the labouring mind, you never would have supposed the Redeemer would have sought in vain, that he would have left an individual who was lost, unrecovered, or any who were dead in trespasses and sins, unquickened by

his influence. You are right, my brother; our Saviour is indeed the Alpha and Omega, in him dwelleth the fulness of the God-head bodily; he is all of man, for he is the second Adam, and in him all fulness dwells. Talk we of sin; he was made sin for us, he bear all our sins in his own body on the tree; he bear them that he might put them away by the sacrifice of himself; that he might take away the sins of the world. Talk we of righteousness; Emmanuel is righteous, and we say to this God with us, Thou only art righteous. Talk we of holiness; thou only art holy. Talk we of power; all power in heaven and earth belongeth unto God. Talk we of goodness; there is none good but one, and that one is the onlywise God our Saviour. Talk we of light; Christ is the true light which lighteneth every man that cometh into the world; and let, said the divine Instructer, thine eye be single, and thy whole body will be full of light. Every member of the body is light in the eye, and this eye is in the head; I would not, said the Apostle, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceit; that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, and so all Israel shall be saved; and this be cause the head of every man is Christ, as much as the man, in the order of nature, is the head of the woman; or the divine nature, the head of the humanity in Christ. Yes, the Redeemer is, indeed, as you observe, the sum and substance of all things which ought to be desired. Whom have I in heaven, but him? And what is there on earth to be desired beside him? Yes, the types under the Mosiac dispensation all pointed to Christ; I never was so fully convinced of this, as since I have commenced a regular investigation of the scriptures which constitute the Old-Testament; I have proceeded as far as the ninth chapter of Numbers, and truly we have traced the footsteps of our divine Master, in the books and chapters we have passed over. Yes, the promises are all in him, and in him yea and amen to the glory of God. Yes, and it is the Saviour of all men who is to be the judge of quick and dead. I am solemnized, and filled with sacred transport, when I learn that all judgment is committed to the Son of man. It was well for the children of Jacob, that their judge, in the midst of Egypt, was their brother, notwithstanding the treatment which Joseph had previ ously received from these hard-hearted brethren.

It is well for Jew and Gentile, that he, in whom Jew and Gentile were reconciled in one body on the cross, is to have the final dispo

seat.

sal of them, when he fills the throne and is seated in the judgment But when Christ shall set upon the throne of judgment, the books will be opened and every man will be judged according to the things written in the books. They will be judged according to the things done in the body; and of course, every mouth will be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. We are, said the guilty brethren of Joseph, we are verily guilty of our brother's blood. Joseph heard this confession, but he did not at that moment undeceive them, he did not say, "your brother is not dead; I am your brother." No, he left them for a time to their own reflections, that they might be fully sensible of the magnitude of his goodness, when he withdrew the veil, which, through the whole transaction, he was deterinined in his own way and time to withdraw.

Yes, all who are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who hear shall live. Yes, the prince of this world is judged, and the angels who kept not their first estate are reserved unto the judgment of the great day. The saints, the chosen few, the clect, shall be in the judgment seat, judging the world. Know ye not that we shall judge angels, said an Apostle.

The dead in Christ shall rise first. There are, among the children of men, but two characters: such who, according to the direction of the spirit, put on the Lord Jesus, and having lived by faith in him, finished their course with joy, and laying down in peace, rise to the resurrection of salvation; having judged themselves, they shall not be judged according to the word of the Redeemer, "judge yourselves, and you shall not be judged." These are the first fruits, the dead in Christ, who shall first rise.

The second description includes those who have not believed, because they have not known. They never conceived that Jesus died for their sins, and rose again for their justification;-they lay down with a damning consciousness of sin, and of course they must rise to the resurrection of damnation. Damnation, so the translators will have it; they are extremely fond of this phrase; yet they know there is no such phrase in the New-Testament; but they think it sounds well, more terriffic. Sir, you know the word thus rendered, should be condemnation; they shall rise to the resurrection of condemnation; and, while continuing in ignorance and unbelief, they shall imagine the Lamb is possessed of wrath, and VOL. II.

32

under this apprehension we repeat, they will call upon the mountains to fall upon them.

But, as I before observed, another book will be opened, the book of life; and the face of the covering will be taken from all people, and the veil from all nations, and every eye shall see, and every tongue confess; and every creature in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, yea, all of them shall ascribe, Blessing, and glory, and honour, to him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever. And there shall be no more sorrow, nor crying, nor pain; all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new. Then, indeed, shall the accuser of the brethren be cast out into his proper element, darkness; then shall the tables be turned upon the adversary, and like Haman, he must himself submit to the death he intended for Mordecai.

In the last scene in the Revelations, we find an invitation to all the fowls of heaven to repair to the supper of the great God. Revelations xix. 17, 18:

1

"And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great

God;

"That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great."

Our Saviour informed his disciples, that the fowls of the air which catched the seed sown by the way-side, were devils. The prince of devils is the prince and power of the air, and the last vial was poured on, or in the air. These fowls summoned to the last supper must eat the flesh of kings, &c. &c. &c. This is that flesh, the works of which are manifest, and which cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, because nothing that defileth can enter there. But this figure corresponds with the figure so generally misunderstood. The goat to whom the sins of the people were, after the atonement and expiation, transferred. This goat, with all the abominations of Israel, was sent to a land not inhabited, and there lost to be found no more at all; their sins and their iniquities thou wilt remember no more. Thou hast cast all our sins as a stone

into the depth of the sea.