tended; also in 1 John v. 19. We know that we are of God, and the WHOLE World lieth in wickedness. Now to take this word world in a universal sense, would be very great FOLLY, when it can only relate to the unconverted part of mankind then living in all parts of the world. From the above passages of holy writ, the Arminian Babel, and favorite scheme of universal redemption must to every one capable of spiritual discernment, appear what it really is, a cunningly devised fable, and our blessed Lord's language to the Sadducees, may, with the greatest propriety, be applied to such characters. Matt. xxii. 29. Jesus answered and said unto them, ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God; the scriptures are explicit upon the sufferings of Christ, and those who are the purchase of his blood, and that he died for those only, who shall be everlastingly glorified with him, and not for those who perish, and will by their sins be sent into everlasting misery in hell. Psalm ix. 17. But Jesus, in John xvii. 2, said, As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him; and those Jesus only intercedes for, therefore in verse 9, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. Here the Arminians are ever indefatigable in the perversion of the sacred truths of the gospel, and twisting them to speak their own language of universality, have thrown in a stumbling-block, saying, Jesus only prayed for them who already believed, in order to clear up, expose, and detect this error, verse 20 will be sufficient for the purpose, where Jesus says, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. Also, Acts viii. 48. which in the clearest evidence, from his own word, he did not suffer upon the cross for all mankind, but only a remnant. After all the disputes, and volumes wrote to convince Mr. Wesley of his error, by many able divines, he still persisted in his blasphemy, and would risk his soul upon it, saying, I will have nothing to do with Jesus Christ, Heaven, or happiness, without Jesus Christ spilt his blood on the cross for every individual of the human race. See these two doggerel verses in his Sacred Poems. "If fury can in thee have place, "If I may not thy mercy claim, On me the vengeful bolt let fall, Take back my interest in the Lamb, Hull. NOTE. J. W. We have received the above piece, accompanied with a letter from a correspondent, who is deeply affected, by the rapid strides that Popery and Arminianism, are making in every direction. He observes, that the doctrines of the day are in unison with the Papist, particularly in that of the mass, whereby it is asserted by many who call themselves Protestants, that the oblation and sacrifice of Christ, is in some respects a mere ABORTION, not being full, perfect and sufficient, to save all those for whom Christ died, though he bore their sins, and made ample restitution to divine justice. And at the same time, members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, many of them are suffering in hell for those very sins, that their substitute discharged. UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION, we must say, is Satan's ambuscade; herein he conceals himself, and wraps up his cloven foot in the covering of universal love. He works most craftily upon the hopes and fears, the folly and ignorance of mankind. And it is most de plorable, that there are teachers, even in the sanctuary of God, who lend a helping hand to such a gross delusion. And it may be noticed, that there is not a schismatic, who does not join them in ringing the same changes, on the above topic of universal love, universal redemption, and then universal salvation, which must necessarily follow from these positions. Now the scriptures expressly speak another language, for God not only hates iniquity, but he hates the workers of iniquity. Ic is true he loves the seed of the woman, but it is no less true, he hates the serpent's progeny. The world is divided into two classes, sheep and goats-both prepared objects for prepared abodes. Of the sheep, our Lord expressly says, I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR THE SHEEP." "" But our universalists maintain, that he laid down his life for the goats, and not only so, but bore their sins, in his own body on the tree. Then the reply comes in with full tide, not to be repelled, "Who is he that condemneth since Christ has died!!! 66 It is true Judas has gone to his place, but he and his companions might reflect and say; If we had an inclination, we could join in the same strain with those in heaven, "Unto Him who loved us, and bore our sins, and paid a ransom for us." But our indignation is excited, that our debt which Christ discharged, has never been ratified, he died in vain, and we are still in our sins, suffering the vengeance of Almighty God. The Holy Spirit, the testifier of Jesus, never performed his part in the covenant engagement, by reproving or convincing us of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Nor did he ever GUIDE us into all truth, as was promised: and also that he should glorify Christ in us, and shew us those things that belong to him. But here we are under the impulse of the love of God, and the bloodshedding of Christ Jesus, suffering punishment, instead of a recompence of reward. Our universalists acknowledge this to be just reasoning, hence, Mr. Winchester and Mr. Thoms, expect a general delivery of the present outcasts, into a state of bliss and glory as the result of universal love, and universal redemption, and indeed from such PREMISES, their conclusions are incontrovertible. Amid such discordancy of sentiments, let not the weaklings of God's flock be alarmed, or suppose for a moment, they are appointed to wrath, but to obtain mercy through Christ Jesus. And let them remember to their comfort that though as sheep going astray, the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of US ALL; his people, and the sheep of his pasture, the love of God was such towards them, that he sent his Son to die for them, even whilst they were enemies in open rebellion against him, in every thought of the heart, in every word of the tongue, and in every action of life. These are the all, the every one, for whom the Redeemer" tasted death," that constitute the world, whom God so loved, and sent his only Son to redeem, that whosoever of them that believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life; and he knew from the beginning who should believe on him, and for such and such only, he became a sin offering-a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice. And in spite of men and devils, the surety of the atonement shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied, as captain of their salvation' in bringing many sons to glory, for whom he underwent the sufferings of death. In this sense, and in no other, he "takes away the sins of the world," so as never more to be found. The apostle John expressly says, that the Son of God was manifested to take away our sins. We cannot help going over the same ground, again and again, and let it be observed, and never let it be forgotten, that our Redeemer, Lord, and Saviour, whatever to the contrary, Papists, Arminians, or the whole tribe of Evangelicals, so called, may assert, we will upon the record of God's most holy word, boldly avow, in the face of the whole Sanhedrim, that not an individual for whom our incarnate Lord and Saviour died, but shall be preserved, called, and ultimately be brought to glory. He first seeks the purchase of his blood, then draws them to him by his own Omnipotent power and his own free grace. Is it reasonable we ask, or is it likely from the nature of the case, he will then leave them to their corrupt free-will, whether or not, the work of grace should be completed, no, his declaration is, "The ransomed of the Lord shall return to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads. The Saviour's prayer will then be answered, Father, I will, that ALL those whom thou hast given me be with me to behold my glory!!! O ye reputed STANDARD BEARERS of the Most High God! why balt ye between two opinions. You who are designated pastors of the Lord' flock, look back upon the waters that ye have made the heritage of the family of our God to drink, consider the pastures into which you have led them. How you have made the souls of the righteous sad, and the souls of the wicked to rejoice, when you have talked of a redundancy, a waste of sufferings, lavished away by the agonizing Saviour on the cross, upon those who would never be benefited, by his pangs and bloody sweat, his cross, passion, and precious death. The cup of suffering his Father gave him to drink, was full to the brim, but not overflowing, and the last dreg there of he drank, and said, It was finished. It is true, and very trae, there was a sufficiency, but no over-sufficiency, no surplus for the seed of the serpent-otherwise the precious blood of Christ would have been shed in vain, but it will fully accomplish the end designed, as the angel of God foretold, which was, His name shall be called Jesus, because he shall save HIS PEOPLE, from their sins. Weigh these things in the balances of the sanctuary, and may your doctrine henceforth distil as the dew, and as light to the world; clear as chrystal, proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb. And let it be deeply considered, you never confound the condition of acceptance with God, making that to be the cause which is the effect, and that to be the effect which is the cause. And let those who are the sheep of the pasture of the Lord, know, that it is their duty and privilege, keenly to distinguish these things in their own consciences, so as to enjoy the brightness of the glory of God, the grace of God set up in their souls; and remember, that the final cause of our joy, peace, and ultimate salvation arises from God being reconciled to us, through the Son of his love. March 4, 1839. 66 -000 EDITOR. To Dr. Pye Smith, with reference to his Course of Lectures on Geology and Revelation," now being delivered at the Congregational Library, Blomfield Street, Finsbury Circus. SIR, OUR public notice of your Lectures on "Geology and Revelation" must be resumed. Your lecture of last evening on the Flood, and the demonstrations exhibited by the generality of your audience, presented a scene of gratified irreverence seldom perhaps surpassed by an assembly of infidels congregated for the express purpose of enjoying an ingenious scoff at the records of the inspired volume. Your geologically explained statements-that the flood could not have been universal-that the waters could not have risen to the recorded height of 15 cubits over all the earth-that neither the rains from above, nor the added deeps and oceans from beneath, could have sufficed for such a quantity of water-that such a body of aqueous fluid could not have found outlets and receptacles in its retreat fromthe earth-that human life only was entirely destroyed, but that all bestial, insectal, and reptile life could not have so perished-that the idea of pairs of all living creatures heving been preserved is perfectly impossible and ridiculous,-together with many other kindred declarations, equally revered and evangelical, were received by your religious audience with pious demonstrations of risible approbation. And, when you laid yourself out to present a graphic picture of the inside of the ark and its preserved contents, as received from the Mosaic record; when you depicted with the felicitous pencil of an evangelical Hogarth, the amusing conveniences and incon veniences of the laden vessel's interior-the stables and stalls for the various animals; the lofts and lockers for the hay and other necessary kinds of provender; the co-assemblage of carniverous animals with those on which it is their nature to prey; the odd and serious transposition of fresh water fish into salt water, and of salt water into fresh; and, above all, the delicacy and wholesome. ness attached to the idea of so many animals and their natural evacuations being shut up in a confined room with only one window to it when this reverend picture was thus graphically, and with so much reverential ingenuity, delineated, its intended effects on the no longer manageable countenance of your gospel auditors were irresistible. Really, Sir, these indices of the atmosphere in which our present day scientific religionists "live, move, and have their being," are fearfully portentous. What cloud is this rising out of the gospelprofessing world itself, and spreading over our threatening hemisphere? Surely it cannot be long ere the infidel and the evangelist shall be a synonym of term, and an identity of person. Even supposing that some of the interpretive principles laid down in the present course of lectures shall furnish a step towards the solution of the difficulties which the " new science" presents, when confronted with the pages of eternal veracity (of which step we must still, as augured in our first letter, entertain much serious doubt), surely these principles might have been explained by Dr. Pye Smith in a more reverential mood. Surely he need not have taken so much chuckling delight in the gratifying effects wrought by his H. B. ingenuity on the evangelical muscles of his pious auditory, at the expence of all that decent reverence which is ever deemed requisite in the discussion of divine subjects. You will find, however, Sir, that all this scientific and lingual invention, this making divine revelation the lacquey of the "new science," will create an amount of difficulty equal to that which the said "new science" pretends to dissipate. Such as these, with an infinity of others-How the flood could destroy all mankind, and yet not be universal over the then inhabited earth, unless we suppose the world to have been peopled in one place only, or to have been gathered together to one place for the divine purpose of their destruction: or, how the flood should be sufficiently universal to destroy all men, and yet not equally destroy all animals, beasts, insects, reptiles, &c. God himself, however, notwithstanding all the scientific denials of pious geologists, expressly and circumstantially declares that the flood prevailed over the "whole earth," canopied by the "whole heaven," and that it equally destroyed "every man,' ," "all cattle," "every fowl," "every creeping thing," every thing that had life," and "every living substance." The words of the divine records are these:-"Fifteen cubits upwards did the waters prevail, and the mountains were covered. And all flesh died that moved upon the earth; both of " 66 |