the Lord shall yet be revealed, and all flesh shall see

it TOGETHER.

Yours in friendship,

JULIUS.

LETTER 2.

In this epistle, I purpose to pursue the examination of those passages you have cited from the Old Testament, supposed by you to favour the common doctrine of never-ending suffering. The first that presents, is not referred either to book, chapter or verse, but supposed to refer to Isa. 10: 22, "For though thy people, Israel, be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return." It is not said, as you have quoted, "only a remnant shall be saved." Paul, in quoting this passage, says, "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved."-Rom. 9: 27. You will be pleased to notice, in the first place, that the passage has nothing to do with a future state. The prophet was speaking of the return of the children of Israel from captivity, as is evident by the context;

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God."

Then comes the passage already quoted, and the close of the 11th chapter shows, that all who were left, should return to their own land.

"And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as

it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt."

Now can you, or any man, show a connexion between this prophecy and a future, never-ending state? I think not; and as Paul makes no such use of the citation, modesty should teach us not to be wise above what is written. But, nevertheless, as Paul is accused of teaching the salvation of the few, and the utter rejection of the many, on the Calvinistic principle of election and reprobation, we will look briefly into his writings for the confirmation, or refutal of this charge. "Even so then, at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

And if by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace, But if it be of works, then is it no more grace; otherwise work is no more work.

What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."

And what will be the result of the blindness of this disobedient and gainsaying people? Answer.

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"I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid; but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness."

Lest, however, this should be considered a mere supposititious proposition, the apostle is careful to warn the Romans against the pride of considering themselves the specially favoured of God, to the ex clusion of the Jews, in the following definite language;

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your

own conceit, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in."

The time of their blindness and consequent rejection, was limited, "until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." What then will be the consequence ?

"And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.

For the gifts and calling of God are without repen

tance.

For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief;

Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

For God hath included them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all."

In view of this glorious developement of the mystery, no wonder the apostle breaks out in the following glowing language;

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor ?

Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory forever. Amen."

The next passage you selected is not in the Bible: what you probably intended to quote is in Eccl. 9: 10, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." Why this direction? the close of the

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verse gives the reason; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest." Pray what does this say about "no repentance in the grave?" and if it did, to what would it amount? If" the dead know not any thing," as is said in another place, then sure it is that in the grave can be no knowledge nor wisdom, of course no enjoyment, and no suffering. Let us then attend to the counsel, and serve our generation with faithfulness, that our names may descend to a grateful, because a benefited posterity. The same writer has already informed us, that "A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of DEATH, than the day of one's birth." If it be true, that dust returns to dust, and the spirit to God who gave it, we have no cause of fear in laying the body where no knowledge or wisdom can reside. The insensate clod, that has been warm with life, and often served as the medium of enjoyment, must return to the elements whence it originated. But it returns without the power of thought-it never did think-and it must cease to feel. But do you observe any thing in these circumstances, that threatens a state of suffering, either for spirit or body? If so, all may have the same fear— for, as perishes the fool, so perishes the wise man.

Prov. 11: 7, "When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish; and the hope of unjust men perisheth." Now what is the expectation of the wicked, the unjust man? Answer. He expects to be happy in sin. He strives for happiness, as all must; but, he is deceived-he takes a wrong course, and it ends in disappointment. His expectation perishes, for the curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked

a man cannot go upon hot coals, and not be burned -the way of the transgressor is hard--his way is like the troubled sea-it casts up mire and dirt. Is not this sufficient to dash his expectations with wormwood

and gall? or does the context justify the manner in which you would apply it? Be careful how you consign to remediless wo, a fellow-being, made, as you are, in the image of God, on a mere implication. These texts appear to me to have no hidden meaning, and to require no private interpretation.

Prov. 29: 1, “He, that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." Very true, we have often seen it, but what does it say of sinning away the day of grace, or of a final doom to interminable wrath? So far from finding this figment, I learn that the destruction shall be sudden. Does this threat contain any thing more dreadful than the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? Certainly not. What was their punishment? Jeremiah, speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem,

says;

"For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her."

Sod

Were the Sodomites doomed to interminable misery, and were the citizens of Jerusalem to endure something more severe? Strange paradox, indeed. But what is the comparison, in the two cases? om was destroyed as in a moment-their destruction was sudden-no hands stayed upon her. Jerusalem suffered by siege, and famine, and pestilence, and faction--and such was the weight of her sufferings, that the Saviour declared that such tribulation had never been, and should never again occur. We thus see,

that the prolonged and complicated sufferings of the Jews, far exceeded those of Sodom, which was destroyed as in a moment. And why this difference? Answer.

"As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister