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ing, if all who repent not shall perish, as you agree, in "like manner" as they perished. That you are correct in your explanation of the word likewise in the passage under consideration, is admitted; for although the English word likewise frequently signifies also, yet the two Greek words (oaúrws) and (Spotws) which are translated likewise in verses 3d and 5th of Luke xiii, certainly denote the perishing to be in like manner. They who perished in consequence of the falling of the tower of Siloam, and the cruelty of Pilate, were not worse than other sinners, who lived to old age and died in their beds: but says our Saviour, except ye repent ye shall all perish, as they perished; for he who dies without repentance, perishes from the gracious presence of the Lord.

You aim "to show that premature natural death was the declared consequence of iniquity, according to the representation of Solomon," and that this is the perdition denounced against the wicked, when it is said they shall perish. It is granted, that frequently the wicked do not live out half their days, which they might live were they moral in their conduct; and that in general, obedience in childhood, and virtuous conduct in after life, tend to prosperity and length of days. Still we read of a sinner's being accursed, when a hundred years old, Isa. lxv. 20; and our own observation must have taught us, that many sinners, instead of coming to a premature death, die in old age, in their iniquities, “being wholly at ease and quiet."

The 1 Cor. xv. 22, proves nothing more than this, that in and through Adam, all mankind have become subject to natural death, and that in and through Christ, all men shall be raised from the dead at the last day. Paul is arguing against those who denied the resurrection from the dead, and he asserts that the resurrection through Christ shall be as extensive, as death by Adam. As in Adam all die, says he, even so in Christ shall all be made alive; and he is careful to add, in the next verse, "but every man in his own order." Now in this order, Christ arose as the first fruits; afterwards shall arise they that are Christ's at

his coming; and finally all the wicked shall arise to immortality and damnation at the same time. Then all things, and among them death itself, shall be subdued to Christ, without entering heaven.

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Some shall as certainly be made alive in, or by Christ, to an immortality of misery, as others to an immortality of blessedness. In proof of this doctrine of a resurrection from the grave to a future judgment, and of some men to all the miseries of hell, in body and in spirit for ever, I adduce the following texts: Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever," Daniel xii. 2, 3. Here, among those who are to arise from their graves, there is to be a distinction between those who are wise and all the unwise. The wise are to shine, with different degrees of glory, according to the measure of their holy obedience, and are to experience everlasting life; while all persons of an opposite character are to be the subjects of shame and everlasting contempt. In the fiftieth Psalm, we have a prophetic description of the future general judgment. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath already shined in the glory of his gospel, which reveals to us the end of the world. Our God shall come, in awful majesty, as a destroying fire and tempest to the wicked. But in relation to others he shall say to his angels, "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness, for God is judge himself."

Concerning this scene, "Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied,-saying, Behold, the Lord coming with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him," Jude ver. 14, 15. When the

ungodly are thus convinced, and judgment is executed upon them, every mouth will be stopped; every knee will bow, every tongue will confess, and God will be glorified in manifesting his justice, goodness, and forbearance, even in relation to the sinner's doom.

In Jude we also read, concerning the Lord, that "the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise, also, these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evi' of dignities." These Jude, or Judas, the brother of James, styles" wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." Here the spirit of inspiration gives us instances of endless punishment in the angels who sinned; in the inhabitants of the plain of Sodom, who suffer, after the shower of fire had swept them from the earth, the vengeance of eternal fire; and in those ungodly men in the days of Judas, who denied the only Lord God, turned the grace of God into lasciviousness, and were ordained to condemnation.

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In 2 Cor. v. 8-10, Paul says, that he is willing to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord, for which presence we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Here our appearing before the judgment seat of Christ is represented as taking place after our spirits are unclothed of the earthly house of this tabernacle, and clothed upon with a house not made with hands, so that mortality is swallowed up. When we live to die no more, having risen from the grave, then shall we appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that we may receive our portion for ever.

"God shall bring every work into judgment, with every

secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil," Eccles. xii. 14. "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked," Eccles. iii. 17.

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"In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel," saith Paul, then as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law,"-" for there is no respect of persons with God," Rom. ii. 11, 12, 16. In this same chapter, Paul says, we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth," and then exhorts to a preparation for it, as a future "revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render unto every man according to his deeds." He does not affirm that God does it now, but that he will do it, in that day of wrath, against which. by their hardness and impenitent heart, many treasure up wrath; in that day, in which he will render glory, honour, immortality, eternal life, to them that patiently continue in well doing; in that day, in which he will render to the contentious who do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, "tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil."

Paul told the Athenians, that God "hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained," Acts xvii. 31. If the day of judgment was the day of giving the law, or any time prior to the apostle's teaching the Athenians, there was no propriety in saying, that God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world. In that case he might have said, "he has judged the world, without appointing any day for the judgment."

As an inducement to men to deny themselves, take up the cross and follow him, Jesus said, in reference to gaining the world and losing one's own soul, "for the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then shall he reward every man according to his work," Matt. xvi. 27. Then, when he shall thus come, and not before, will he perfectly reward every man. In proof of his coming to judge the world in the last day.

agreeably to this declaration, Jesus then informed his disciples, that they should not all die, before he would come in his spiritual kingdom on earth. "There be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." John lived to see the full establishment of Christianity in the world; and the Saviour's coming to judge Jerusalem and call the Gentiles; but this was a widely different thing from his coming to judge the world in the last day.

I shall refer you, at present, to one other passage, of fearful import, and in my opinion conclusive on the subject of our controversy.

"It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day," 2 Thes. i. 6-10. "In that day," the day of final judgment," WHEN he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe," THEN "the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power." In this way Christ will recompense tribulation to those who persecute his people, and rest to those who suffer trouble for his sake. Thus to give sinners and saints, persecutors and the persecuted, their respective portions, is a "righteous thing with God."

I accuse you, sir, of no prevarication nor of intentional misrepresentation; and thank you for the repeated instances in which you have given me advice concerning

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