But by admitting, or believing that the whole creation will be totally delivered from sin, guilt, pain, sorrow, misery, and death of every kind, then the scriptures are reconcileable, and the last agree well with the following, and thus we see how one passage substantiates another.

"And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people, there they shall be called the children of the living God." (ix. 26.) For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy. upon all." (xi. 29, 32.) "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Cor. xv. 22.) 66 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (or, death the last enemy, shall be destroyed.) For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." 1 Cor. xv. 24, 28.

It is strange that people can read such passages of scripture as these, and still believe, in direct contradiction to their plain testimony. All rule, all authority, all power is put down, and all enemies under his feet; all brought into subjection, and Christ delivers up the kingdom to the Father, and he becomes all in all. And after all this, how astonishingly absurd they must be, who assert that another power, in opposition to the power of God, will hold millions of souls forever in awful captivity; and that too when

"This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mor must put on immortality." (Verse 53.) "So when this

corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." (Verse 54.) "Oh death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory." Verse 55.

According to that of Hosea, (xiii. 9, 14.) “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help: I will ransom thee from death. O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave," (hell some read it,) “I will be thy destruction. Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes." It appears by this last sentence that unrepentance will not prevent being raised incorruptible, or ransomed, see Rom. xi. 29. What is implied by, I will be thy destruction. Ans. "The Lord God will swallow up death in victory, and wipe away tears from all faces." Isa. xxv. 8. What a uniformity there is in the scriptures, and how remarkably they correspond on this blessed subject of the final salvation and happiness of all men.

Again, I must make a few more remarks on the last text. When we are raised, incorruptible and immortal, we can be no longer subject to sin, nor capable of sinning: and when we cease to sin, we must cease to suffer the consequences of sin. It appears to me, as well as to many others, most absurd, to suppose that immortal and incorruptible bodies can sin; it is a contradiction to say they can. Sin, or wickedness, is corruption, and if incorruptible bodies could sin, they would again become corruptible. Now, reader, see another inconsistency in the common theological theory, All the orthodox believe that all men that have ever lived will be raised immortal and incorruptible, "this corruptible

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must put on incorruption. We shall be raised incorruptible," (1 Cor. xv.) and yet sin eternally, and blaspheme God and his Christ, say they. Above all inconsistencies we think this the greatest and most absurd!! And reader, take notice and see the absurdity of it a little further and more fully, according to the apostle, where he is speaking of the resurrection, "It is sown a natural body," (this we well know,) it is raised a spiritual body. It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness," (this all men know,) "it is raised in power. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy, and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly," i. e. incorruptible and immortal."And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bare the image of the heavenly." Now this is a positive declaration, that as all men have, in their corruptible and mortal state, been of the earth, earthy, &c. so in their incorruptible and immortal state, they shall be heavenly. More might be said on this subject; but enough has been said for any considerate mind, and to cause people to consider how they can be raised incorruptible, and be in an incorruptible state-raised a spiritual body, and bear the image of the heavenly, and yet in a state of sin and eternal suffering! And see Phil. iii. 21.

Again, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." 2 Cor. v. 19.

Not according to another unscriptural docrine, to reconcile God to man, who was never conciled, as he is unchangeable. "But be. reconciled to God." Now, if "God was in

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Christ reconciling the world unto himself, and not imputing their trespasses unto them," but forgives their iniquities, and remembers their sins no more," how contradictory and absurd it is, to say that their sins will never be forgiven, but forever stand against them.

"Know ye, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." (What faith? What are we to believe to be the children of Abraham? Ans. To believe,) "The gospel preached unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be bleesed. So then, they which be of" (this) faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham." Gal. iii. 7, 9.

Those who depend upon their own works, or on what they can do in order to be blessed, may see (and understand if they can) the next, and several of the following verses, in which the apostle goes on to speak of faith, the law and works, and that the just shall live by faith."And a blessed faith it is. Why, what is it?— Ans. To believe that in Christ, all the nations, families, and kindreds of the earth shall be blessed." And of course thou too, reader, for no doubt that thou art one of a nation, and of some family, or kindred, and therefore included in the blessing? This is enough to support thee through all the trying scenes of this life, and cause thee to enjoy a good degree of heaven upon earth, in the anticipation of the full completion of it; which, as I have noticed before, is not in this life. But according to the very next text, which follows in order as I quote them

"That in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together, in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him :" (as all were blessed in him.) "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose

of him, who worketh all things after the council of his own will." Eph. i. 10, 11.

And that was, that all should be blessed in Christ: to this all are predestinated, "according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself," and "according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ," that in him all the nations, &c. should be blessed, and as saith the apostle, "who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ.”

Who is far above all principality and power, and might, and dominion." "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church." (Verses 21, 22.) "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. ii. 10.) "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. And" (having made peace through the blood of the cross) "by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." Col. i. 19, 20.

I would suppose no one will dispute but that all things, means all men; or that men are included, whatever other things there may be."To reconcile all men unto himself." If the apostle had known, or had foreseen, that this would have been disputed, he could not have spoken plainer than he has done, to shew that all will finally become reconciled.

Scarcely any text in all the scriptures has puzzled expositors more, and occasioned a greater variety of sentiments than this. Grotius interprets it one way, Dr. Hammond another, Dr. Whitby another, Locke another, and Pierce another; and Dr. Taylor says, in his book on Romans, p. 282, that he does not understand it.