ful pit which their own hands have made. When they fuffer by this, they have themselves, and not their Maker to blame; "Wo unto their fouls, for they have rewarded evil unto themfelves," Ifa. iii. 9. "He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men;" or, as the margin reads it," he does not afAlict from his heart," Lam. iii. 33. If we confefs our fins, fays John, he is faithful and just to forgive us our fins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In the falvation of mankind, juftice is no less concerned than mercy. The former, intead of obftructing, aids the benign ends of the latter; for juftice cannot fuffer any thing that is contrary to its own nature to fubfift, without oppofing it, and by that oppofition will effect its total deftru&tion at length. Thus our God, acting juftly, is a confuming fire, to deftroy, as not merely useless, but degrading, defiling, and pernicious, whatever cannot abide the fire.

Seeing goodness and wrath, mercy and revenge, cannot fubfift together, were God's juftice what many reprefent it to be, he muft cease to be juft whenever he communicates his goodness, in the form of mercy; or ceafe to be good and merciful, fo often as he exercifes his juftice. Immutability is an effential attribute of abfolute perfection. Seeing it is manifeft that God feeks the good. of his creatures at a certain period of their existence, and that in perfect agreeableness to his own nature, we are reduced to the alternative of granting, either that he will always feek their good, or that he has changed. The Pfalmift tells us, "The Lord is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works:" and himself says, "I am the Lord, I change not," Pfal. cxlv. 9. Mal. iii. 6. If then the Lord be good to all, and feeks the good of all; can the greater part remain always miferable? He is called a just God and a Saviour; and said to be just in justifying the ungodly that believe in Jefus, to fhew there is no repugnancy between juftice and mercy in him, as many feem to think. We have indeed heard of the Battle of the Divine Attributes, which may found very well

as the title of a popular fermon; but does not accord with the unity of Deity, or the fimplicity of the divine character. That the retribution of juftice flows from goodness or mercy, or is under its direction and influence, appears to me evident from the following paffage : "Alfo unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy; for thou rendereft to every man according to his work," Pfal. Ixii. 12. What an amiable and important view does the Pfalmift give us of the province of justice under the Divine administration, when he reprefents her as the Lord's harbinger, preparing his rebellious fubjects for a friendly interview! "righteousnefs," or, as the metrical verfion has it, "juftice fhall go before him, and shall fet us in the way of his fteps," Pfal. lxxxv. 13. even in wisdom's ways, which are pleasantnefs and peace.

It has been objected, (for what will not fome men obj &?) Why doom the wicked to hell at all, if they are to be delivered from it at any future period? Do prifons ferve no other purpose but to torment those who are shut up in them, and confine them for life? Have we not our correction-houses, that are intended to reclaim the lawlefs and difobedient, who difturb the peace of fociety? and all prifons, if under proper regulation, would be conducted on the fame plan. One folitary individual, reclaimed to virtue and fociety, would de

more honour to these establishments, than the hordes of hardened wretches that they annually pour forth to the gibbet. And where is the harm fhould we view hell as the great correction-house of the universe, intended for the deftruction of the impenitent finner, only as a mean of feparating his fins from him, and of recovering him to the end of his exiftence, a capacity of glorifying and enjoy. ing his Maker? The far greater part of Chriftiana view hell as a dreadful Baftile that receives its millions of human beings annually, but will never return any. What would we think of fuch a Baftile among men, or of the one lately deftroyed in a neighbouring country? Would we not conclude that there must be fomething very defective in the nature of that government, under which fuch an inflitution found place? The universal do&rine does not fend the wicked to hell, to fatisfy for their fins, and fo procure their release, as its advocates are flanderously reprefented; they refting the reftoration wholly on the mediation of Jefus, and not on the fufferings or merits of any creature. The fame objection equally lies against God's dealings with his people on earth; Why does he exercise them with manifold tribulations, and caft them into many a furnace, feeing he means at length completely to fave them? For that very reafon he corrects them; for what fon is there whom the Father loveth and chafteneth not? If Christ learned obedience by the things which he fuffered, and was made perfect thro' fufferings; how much more do guilty creatures need fufferings, in order to teach them obedience, and make them perfect? Can it then appear ftrange, that God fhould fend thase to hell, who remain unreclaimed in the present state, should he intend to fhew mercy upon them at length, and blefs them? Let Chriftians, therefore, beware of arraigning the government of their heavenly Father, in their zeal to fupport the common doctrine, and of thrusting themselves into the throne of their common Judge, to doom whomfoever they please to relentless

woe.

God made all things at firft good, which included their happiness according to their nature. Holinefs is the health, the beauty, and vigour of the foulthe found state of the whole man; and whatever tends to fubdue and destroy fin, which is its very oppofite, the disease, deformity, and debility of the inward man, at the fame time promotes its holiness, or removes the obstacles to its reco very and happiness. The goodness of God is to lead us to repentance; and the gifts he beftowe, that we may be holy and unblameable before him in love. To object, Of what use is the death of Christ to the wicked, feeing they are to fuffer fo long in their own perfons? argues the want of attention to the fubject, It is eafy to raife fimilar objections againft God's known proçedure in other cafes, May it not be as well objected, Why does God fuffer fome, whom he means to reclaim in this life, to remain fo long ftrangers to his truth-to go on, perhaps for many years, in a courfe of open difobedience to his laws? Why he delivers not his people from that abominable and troublefome gueft fin, at once, feeing he means to do it at length and why he fubjects them to fo many tribulations, and to natural death, in the way to the kingdom, and has doomed their bodies to corrupt, and lie fo long in the grave, feeing he has given his Son to the death for them? It is as reasonable to ohjeet in the one cafe as in the other, provided the forint u ́s make it apper, that there fhall be a reftitution of all things, in the

fenfe contended for. In every fuch case a Christian should be satisfied with his Lord's reafon; "Even fo, Father; for fo it feemeth good in thy fight."

The future punishment of the wicked, who die impenitent, is neceffary to vesify fcripture-to difcover the demerit of fin, and the awful effects of defpifing the divine warnings and goodness. And the death of Chrift answers a moft noble purpose to them, if they are ever to be restored; because not any thing produced in them by their fufferings, or any purifying effects of these sufferings, as fome vainly fuppofe, fhall be the ground of their final releafe; but only the mercy of God, as venting itfelf thro' the mediation of his Son, and embraced by the renovating power of his fpirit, revealing the truth to the inward man. And is it not alfo worthy of God, who does nothing in vain, to make the extreme misery of the second death a mean of preventing, in all its subjects a relapfe into the love and commiffion of iniquity; and alfo of increasing their love, gratitude, and praise to their glorious Deliverer to all eternity? In this view, 1 admit, the church of the firft-born may reap advantage from it alfo, as enhancing their gratitude and joy for their preservation from a misery which they also deserved, in common with the reft of mankind. In this view they may greatly profit by the limited punishment of their brethren; but to reprefent them a rejoicing at it, upon the common fyftem, is to libel their character.

Objections fo multiply upon me, and unwilling to overlook any that may feem material, krowing many think nothing done in proving a doctrine, while a fingle objection against it remains unanswered, I muft beg leave to occupy an other letter with fome farther anfwers. Meantime, I remain,

Dear Sir,

Cordially yours, &c.

LETTER XVIII.

We were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.– Wo is me, a man of strife, and of contention-every one of them doth curse me.--I am in derifion daily, every one mockcth me.— -The word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derifin daily; for I heard the defuming of many, Report, fay they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my haltingAnd many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ̧ J'e him? 1 Theff. ii. 2.· Jer. v. 10. xx. 7, 8, 10. John x. 20.

DEAR SIR,

IN searching the scriptures of truth, the thought has forcibly ftruck my mind for fome time back, that the common mode of interpreting them unwarrantably confines their import, much within what the Holy Spirit has intended. Why fhould the following, and fimilar paffages, be expounded with fuch restrictions, as circumfcribe their accomplishment within narrow bounds,-bounds much narrower than the language will admit. "Every valley fhall be exalted, and every

mountain and hill fhall be made low and the crooked shall be made ftraight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flefh fhall fee it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it," Ifa. xl. 4, 5. "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds," or "griefs" as on the margin. The Lord is merciful and gracious, flow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide; neither will he keep his anger for ever," Píal. cxlvii. 3.-ciii. 8, 9. "The Lord loofeth the prifoners -the Lord openeth the eyes of the blind-the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down; upholdeth all that fall, raiseth up all those that be bowed down,” Pfal. exivi. 8. 14. These are general declarations, and why should deference to human fystems lead us to confine them? Tho' "the Lord cafteth the wicked down to the ground; yet he taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in thofe that hope in his mercy," Pfal. cxlvii. 6,—11. Will all the pains he will be at with the pri foners of the second death, produce no fear or reverence for him, and never induce them to hope in his mercy? We grant that the anger of the Lord shall not return until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart," Jer. xxiii. 20.; but his word gives reafon to hope, that thefe thoughts are thoughts of mercy and peace, to give fuch an end as corrected children would expect and defire from a father, who hates cafting off for ever, and has devifed means to restore his banished. Tho' many will not now confider or believe this; yet the prophet adds, "that in the latter days they fhall confider it perfe&ly." Cyrus, whofe name fignifies Chrift, or anointed, tho' a heather, had the honour to typify the great Meffiah, Will the Lord never do for his own Son, as antitype, what he promised and fulfilled for Cyrus as type?" Thus faith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whofe right hand I have holden, or firengthened, to fubdue nations Lefore him and I will loofe the loyns of kings, to open before him the two-leaved gates, and the gates fhall not be fhut. I will go before thee, and make the crooked places ftraight: I will break in pieces the gates of brafs, and cut in funder the bars of iron. And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of fecret places, that thou mayest know, that I the Lord, who call thee by thy name, am the God of Ifrael," Ifa. xl. 1, 2, 3,-In the 107th Pfalm, we find this realized under Meffiah's reign. But the common doctrine will not permit Chrift the honour to poffefs the treafures of darkness, and hidden riches of fecret places, even the loft nations of the world, tho' his Father has given these to him, and he has accepted of them a his poffeffion and inheritance. According to it, the darkness will always retaia its treasures, and the fecret places their hidden riches. Let men difpofe of their own property as they pleafe, but let them not prefume to dispose of Meffiah's property and inheritance, at difcretion, without allowing him the power of re claiming it; as if they were determined to fupport the devil's fupremacy to all eternity, and fecure to him, as his vaffals, the far greater part of God's intelligent creatures throughout endless duration, thus making him a far greater prince than Chrift, inafmuch as he is allowed thousands of fubjects for one that Meffith fhall recover from his tyrannic power. Solomon tells us, that 66 many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it," Songs viii. 7. Does not

:

God love all his creatures, as the work of his hands? and did he not love the fallen angels, when they fhone bright in his image? Is it then true that the waters of apoftacy have quenched his love? and that the floods of iniquity have drowned it? Had this really been the cafe, we would not have had fuch exhor. tations as these in his word, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord; let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created." Amen, fo let it be.

It is not a little furprifing, that the names of the ten antediluvian patriarcha, of whom we read, Gen. v. contain, when connected in their fucceffive order, one of the most remarkable prophecies of human mifery, and of the means and extent of that recovery which the gofpel reveals. They may be thus rendered into English-Earth-fprung man, being placed in, or appointed to, a miferable difcipline or preparation fate, the praifed God, or the praifer, or glorifier of God, defcending, ruling, teaching, his death fending, or procuring to the poor, debased, fricken, reft, comfort, and confolation. But if, inftead of felah, or fhelah, fending, producing, reft, the last part of the compounded proper name, Methuselah, we read Silob, or Shiloh, one of our Lord's titles, which denotes peace, falvation, a different verfion may be given, as alfo from the different meanings of the other proper names. The words Shelah and Shiloh are the fame in the Hebrew text, the only difference being in the vowel points. The import of these names may be thus connected and expreffed.-Man comely and beautiful when created, and joined in love to God, and to all creatures, especially his spouse *, became earthy, by coveting and eating forbidden fruit, was appointed to a wretched, desperate condition of pain and forrow; but he that praiseth and glorifieth God, coming down as the confecrated teacher, his death procures the peace and falvation of the needy, depreffed and fmitten offenders, whofe reft, comforter and confolation he shall prove t?

* The reader may see the substance of the above paraphrastic expofition, in Mr Brown's Dictionary of the Bible, under the proper name Adam. Here the different fenfes of fome of the proper names are inferted, and the paraphrafe only connects them.

While writing the above, the ground is covered with fnow, and the fky ftill giving more, as the Pfalmift expreffes it, like flakes of wool. During the inclement feafon, and just now, many, not only of the youth, but also of the adult, have recourfe to the inhuman practice of detroying, with fire arms, &c. the harmless birds, that feek fhelter in the hedges, and vicinity of the abodes of men. Not a few fall victims to this cruel amufement, which aggravates distress, and violates all the rights of hospitality.

This brought to my recollection what I have repeatedly heard remarked of the prefent Duchefs of Buccleugh, how she annually appoints fo much barley for the birds of the air, during the forms of winter; and, when at home, takes pleasure in feeding them in perfon, while they regularly flock around with confidence, expecting their usual boon from her hand.-Here the piumy tribes find ample provifion in the ftorm, while their Creator's wonted bounty is, in a great meafure, fealed up; and friendly protection all the year. All are charged not to moleft the innocent penfioners, while rearing their young; nor are any permitted to feare or affright the lictle warblers, while they hop from fpray to spray, or flock around the friendly mantion. All this kind care and attention they amply reward, by making the extenfive inclosures the place of their fixed refort, and by recreating themfelves around the noble proprietors and their numerous vifitants, with all that unfufpecting confidence, which fuch treatment infpires in the breasts even of the irrational tribes, and with their conftant flutter and cheerful fongs, the whole a faint pic ture of Paradife.

Here we have, in miniature, a diftant fhadow of the primeval state of things, and of that mutual confidence and attachment, which fhall fubfift among the varicus works of creation, C c