event of the offering up of Messiah. Now the imperfection to which, through the past ages, these departed souls had been subjected, was the non-exhibition of Messiah, and the whole train of things which followed, not yet having taken place; such as transgression not finished, reconciliation not made for iniquity, everlasting righteousness not brought in, no race run over by the forerunner. There was no measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ yet set forth to view. Messiah exalted to glory, is now the standard around which their hopes rally, and the model to which they expect to be conformed. He might, by his presence among them, give them to know, that the ransom was paid, and thereby admit them nearer unto God; for if this one offering made them perfect, it follows, that before it took place, they were not perfect. The perfection conferred may be both personal and ad extra; that is, both internal and existing without them. The first might consist in a superaddition of knowledge, and the disclosure of new springs of refreshments and joys; the second, in having before them a perpetual and bright vision of the Lamb, standing among them on the heavenly Zion.

I stop to take a view of two passages, from which an objection might be raised, that St. Paul speaks of a perfection which he and others were already in possession of. The first where he says,

"We

"We speak wisdom among them that are perfect." 1 Cor. ii. 6. It is evident that he does not mean that spotless perfection which takes place after death; it is merely a relative term, denoting that there were others to whom he could not speak wisdom, as being yet in their noviciate. This apprenticeship in the things of God, is the period of learning, the first principles of the doctrines of Christ, which the apostle calls upon them to leave, in order to go on unto perfection; i. e. to the more sublime mysteries of the gospel. "For," says he, "every one that useth milk is a babe”— even they who are conversant only in the elements of the things of heaven. These are merely beginners, "but strong meat ;" that is, the knowledge of the higher mysteries "belong to them who are perfect," who stand high in the knowledge of divine things. Heb. v. 13, 14.

The second, where he says, perfect, let us be thus minded."

66 as many as are

His own words prevent their being understood in the highest sense. "Not as if I had already obtained, or were already perfect ;" Philip. ii. 12. alluding to that perfection which is to be obtained in the event of death. The perfect here are the more advanced in the knowledge of Christ, and stand in contradistinction to those novices who are in a figure termed nepioi, or infants.

CHAPTER.

CHAPTER VIII.

The Shadow of the Hand of God,

I have put my words in thy mouth, and have hid thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundation of the earth, and say to Zion thou art my people. Isaiah, li. 16.

OF this remarkable passage, they have missed

the meaning in all the antient versions; not through inattention or ignorance of the task in which they were engaged, but merely as it would seem, from seeing set forth in the original, that as a future act, which they imagined was now past-the creation of the heavens and the earth. In another part of the same prophet, they might have seen that the Almighty had given notice, he was "to create new heavens and new earth, and that the former should no more be remembered or come into mind." Accordingly the Septuagint, which has led the way to the other versions, has rendered thè passage in this manner, "I will put my words in thy mouth, and under the shadow of my hand will I cover thee, by which [hand] I established the heavens, and laid the foundation of the earth."

In the original, the end of hiding them in the

shadow of his hand, is strongly marked. It is for the planting of the heavens, for the founding of the earth, and for to say to Zion thou art my people.

In the language of figure, the shadow denotes power and protection. To trust in the shadow of Egypt, means to rely on the protection of Pharoah. "If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in the shadow of my wings," were the words of the bramble to the trees, which had assembled to elect a king. Judges, ix. 15.

It is probable that this form of expression took its rise from the cloud, which went before the Israelites in the wilderness. Its wide expansion over the camp, might be compared to wings, to which they owed their defence from the scorching heat of the noon-day sun, while the watchful eye of the glorious Person, who resided in the cloud, protected them from every enemy. When the cloud no longer preceded them in their journeyings, the form of the expression was still preserved, and what was true at first in the popular sense, would now be so only in the figurative. Hence the Psalmist, long after this appearance ceased, says, "therefore shall the children of men come, and put their trust under the shadow of thy wings." Psal. xxxvi. 9.

This

This passage had been already produced as the ground upon which to stand, in shewing forth the end or design of the intermediate state. It is reproduced here for the purpose of entering more fully into the subject, and of joining to it other auxiliary passages, in order to confirm and illus trate the doctrine it appears to contain.

The state of Paradise then is preparatory for that brighter world-" That I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundation of the earth, and say unto Zion, thou art my people."

While time continues its progress, the children of God, and the wicked part of mankind, live blended into one community. No public avowal takes place; no visible separation meets the view. The wheat and the tares remain undistinguished in the same field, and partaking of the same suns and showers. Should the hand of the violent and the cruel attempt to root up, and to destroy the wheat, no power interposes to deliver, no voice from heaven arrests the instrument of death, or attests the innocence of the chosen people: but, on the day of general "making up," the voice will be heard. God will pronounce in the hearing of all created beings, "They are mine." To Zion he will say, "thou art my people."

In harmony with this general scheme of things, Christ will not save Peter from the cross, nor Paul from the block, but in the shadow of his hand he