faith, and that works by love to God, and love to man. St. Paul says, "To us one Lord, one faith and one baptism." This one baptism is that holy love connected with true apostolic faith. The one Lord is that one whole and perfect Saviour, in whom gospel hope is anchored; the one faith is the evidence of what we hope for, although we see not yet all done for us and others, which we desire and expect will be done; yet laith as a sure witness, seryes as a substitute substance of the things hoped for. So the Christian may be said, at present, to live by his faith in the son of God. He that believeth hath this holy witness in himself, that God hath given to man eternal life and that this life is in his son. Here I would observe, that gospel faith being the substance of things hoped for as the evidence of things not yet seen, it cannot embrace such things as endless sin and misery, for such things the rious mind never hopes

for.

It will follow, that the cruel doctrine of endless punishment does not belong to the christian faith; but is rather an evidence in those who believe it, of their want of the substance and evidence of things hoped for. For the real christian hopes for such things as these: that Christ will make an end of sin, and finish transgression, and bring in everlasting righteousness, save the world, &c. Hence if any man thinks he has faith to believe that a part of mankind must and will be eternally dam ned, let him remember that his cruel faith is no evidence of things hoped for, nor is there any gospel substance in such spurious faith. The gospel of Jesus Christ never yet required that his followers should have two faiths, viz. one in Christ and his righteousness, and the other in the devil and his works. No, to the Christian there is but one faith, and that works by love. Now, reader, let me ask you if you believe so much in the devil, as to think he will be able, by his sinful devices, to finally drag many to endless perdition ? can gospel faith be your evidence? And faith in Christ, at the same time that he will save only a few while the devil destroys many? have you not two Lords and two faiths in this case è and

what is worse, one exceeds the other as much as many exceeds a few in number? And if this is the state of your mind, are you not a double minded man? Then how dare you profess to be a Christian? You should remember that the true followers of Christ have but one Lord, one faith, and but one baptism. I am sure that the gloomy prospect of the endless misery of any part of mankind can never find a witness in that faith which works by love, consequently can never have any tendency to purify the heart. A belief in an endless hell can be no doctrine of the gospel, for the gospel is glad tidings of good things, which we are commanded to believe. But are endless sin and misery good things? Are both an endless heaven for a few, and an endless hell for many, good things, and equally calculated to rejoice the heart of a christian? No, nor are they the subjects of christian hope. But the idea of such a final state of things is the very seed of unbelief and want of gospel faith. But this Gospel faith bears witness, that the time will surely arrive when there shall be no more sin, devil, death or hell, but God will be all in all, and every soul partake of boundless bliss. In this glorious view, faith, hope and charity all partake. In this glorious prospect the christian can take delight. It is the object of all pious hope and faith; is the pure witness within the soul, and gives us firm assurance in the Lord.

CHAPTER 7,

THE GOSPEL DISPENSATION IS THE DAY OF CHRIST'S JUDGMENT.

St. John 12. 31, 32. "Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out; and I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me."

Rev. 14. 6, 6. "And I saw another angel fly in the inidst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come."

A day or hour of judgment supposes a time to determine matters in dispute between contending parties, &c. And here we must observe, that when Christ came into the world to be the high priest of a better covenant than that of Moses, he was opposed by the high priest of the Levitical line, who was determined to maintain the ground of the outward covenant in opposition to that which is inward and spiritual. Hence that wicked high priest, as being the prince of that dispensation or in other words being a ruler among the people of that world or age, sought by every means to support his claim in opposition to Christ. While Jesus on the other hand was engaged in abolishing the outward covenant, and in establishing the Gospel; both could not stand, and which cause should prevail must be determined in the high court of heaven, by the Judge of all the earth, even by the only wise God. Therefore, Jesus says, "Now is the judgment of this world; (that is of this dispensation,) "Now shall the prince of this world be cast out." (i. c. the priesthood of Aaron shall fall ;) "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." As

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much as to say, if I am lifted above the earthly covenant to a heavenly and spiritual priesthood, then will I draw both Jews and Gentiles even all men unto me, by virtue of my exaltation. Hence, we must conclude that judgment he alluded to, decided between the two covenants, by disannuling the first and establishing the sec ond. Which judgment then given was after executed on the priesthood of Aaron in the destruction of their consecrated temple at Jerusalem. When the sun or glory of the first heaven was darkened, and the stars, i. e. priests of the Jewish church fell from their heaven of self-exaltation. Then the Jewish moon or church was turned to blood. To the many particular incidents relative to that great event, all our Lord's parables had allusion. And from the time when Christ was crucified, died and rose again, i. e. from the time when judg. ment was given against that wicked world of Jews, unio the time when this judgment should be or was to be executed on Jerusalem, the house of Israel appear to have been peculiarly blinded, and in the most exemplary manner, were strangely infatuated with a frantic zeal without knowledge. So that the Angels of the first covenant, i. e. the Jewish priests, who kept not their first estate as commanded by Moses, these rebel priests or angels, were reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the time of the executing of judgment on Jerusalem at the great day of Jewish calamity." To this awful period of national calamity on the Jews, the holy apostles and first christians looked forward, warning every man of its approach; so that of that day, they frequently speak in their exhortations, exhorting one another to remain stedfast in faith, unto the end. And says one of them, "As ye see the day approaching." And again, "for we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." And St. Paul says, "You that 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," &c. Thus Christ was to be revealed at that day as a true prophet

from heaven, by what he had before predicted being fulfilled, through the instrumentality of the mighty Roman messengers of vengeance, called his mighty angels. For the word angel, signifies a messenger. Now we must observe that the whole of that outward day of judgment on the Jewish world, was a figure of a spiritual, gospel day of judgment, which was to follow, and to last during the gospel dispensation, which I shall next explain.

This

The reader will do well to recollect, that John the revelator saw an angel fly in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to all people, exhorting all to fear and worship God, for this reason, as he testifies. "For the hour of his judgment is come." And not that the day of judgment will come, but is come. vision of an angel could signify no particular nian or personal messenger, but the nature and power of gospel truth, flying in the midst of the new heaven, which is the gospel church set up under the new dispensation of grace, which is the boar of God's judgment already come. So that he who preaches gospel truth, will say worship God for the hour of his judgment is come, hence the idea that the day of God's judgment has not yet come, but has got to come, can not belong to the gospel ministry. but is a fallacious idea.

Observe, this gospel to be preached to all people, is called "the everlasting gospel," because the preaching of it is to last as long as the hour of God's judgment shall last. Now in this dispensation of grace, Christ not only reigns as Saviour of all mankind, but also the judge of all both dead and living, or in other words, judge of quick and dead. Hence every individual of the human family must, each in his own turn, stand before the judgment seat of Christ; for all the books must be opened, and every man must be judged out of those books or things recorded in every heart, And then the book of life will be opened to every man's joy. I have before observed that to give judgment, is to decide a subject in question, or to decide a matter in dispute between two contending parties. Now the nature of this spiritual day or hour of God's judgment, of which we