purpose it is to be appropriated. It is the opinion of many, that it is to be the residence of the saints during the thousand years of Christ's personal reign, where they shall reign with him.-[This was once the opinion of the writer, an opinion which, with some others, he had imbibed from tradition, without ever inquiring for himself, "Are these things so?" It will doubtless be allowed by all, that when an individual for a season devotes his whole attention to the study of one particular truth, revealed in the Scriptures, he may be led to see it in a different light from that in which he saw it, when incidentally introducing it with other subjects with which it was not immediately connected. And it will also be further allowed, not only that men generally are very reluctant to look into the truth of the principles they have imbibed from education, or to examine first impressions or opinions; but also that they are without excuse if they do not try them by the standard of truth, and if found unscriptural to turn from them, and confess their error. The apostle Paul was, above his fellows," more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of his fathers; but when it pleased God. . . . to reveal his Son in him," (Gal. i. 14, 15,) he saw his error, and immediately confessed it, by being baptized, calling on the name of the Lord; (Acts xxii. 16;) an example which all so circumstanced are admonished of God to follow.] But as this opinion does not appear to be confirmed by the Scriptures, so neither do they lead us to presume, that the solid earth will be melted and cooled again,— for the Lord generally works by means,—in the same "twinkling of an eye" that the saints will "be changed."

Our Lord said, "In my Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a

place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also." (John xiv. 2, 3.) Paul said, "We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Cor. v. i.) "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city." (Heb. xi. 16.) But of "the place," "the building," "the city," we have no particular revelation. Nevertheless, after the Lord shall at the last day have gathered in all the inhabitants of the earth, "in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season," (Job v. 26,) then the saints, the salt of the earth," which have hitherto preserved it, and shall preserve it to the end, having been taken up from it, in unison with the Scriptures, it may be concluded that the heavens and the earth will, as respects their present manner of existence, come to an end, the purpose for which they were created being fulfilled. (See Is. xliii. 7. 21.)

66

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