stand, and that he would do all his pleasure. For we find that when the Apostles preached to the people concerning the end, that in confirmation of their testimony, they would call the attention of the people back to what God had done in the beginning and in the ancient times of the prophets from Adam to Moses, and from Moses to the advent of Christ, &c.

This apostolic method, I shall endeavor to pursue, in showing after their example, that God's counsel shall stand, and that he will do all his pleasure. And as the apostles showed that it was God's pleasure that all should be saved in the end, I shall endeavor to throw my mite into the same scale, and I hope as they were honest and sincere in their testimony, so I shall be in mine. They taught the way of salvation, and I mean to show the same, as the word of God shall dictate.

I shall begin at creation, and so travel through all the ancient times of the holy prophets, and the days of ancient Israel down to Christ, and shall also gather much evidence concerning the end, from what Christ said and did, and from the clear testimony of his inspired apos

tles.

As an instrument in the hands of God, I shall endeav or to follow an easy method in arranging and dividing the subject before me. I could wish to have all parts só arranged, that he who has once read the book whether friend or foe, may easily refer to any part for discussion, or instruction.

I shall divide the book into two general parts, the first relates to the first testament, the second to the new testament and each will be subdivided into chapters. This I do, that the subject may be more easily taken up by the candid reader, and more thoroughly investigated. So that whatever reference he wishes to make in speaking or writing of the work, whether for or against the work in any part, he has only to refer to the chapter on the old testament, or new.

THE

PLAIN RESTITUTIONIST.

CHAPTER 1.

ON THE CREATION OF MAN.

"GOD said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his image; in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them; and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Here, in this last verse, we find the first shadow of a divine law, which was ever yet expressed to man as a rule of his moral conduct in life. Herein, the invisible man is commanded to subdue the earth, and to have dominion over all animal nature. Which as an allegorical figure to us, signifies that we must subdue our wild earthly nature, and keep a proper dominion over all our animal passions.

This holy law was given to the spiritual man, before the earthly man was formed of the dust of the ground; it was given to that intellectual nature which was created after the likeness of God. I would here observe, that man was at first created after the similitude of the invisible God, in the following sense of the word. First,

he was created an invisible spirit; second, he was created with intellectual faculties after the likeness of God though in a finite degree. Third, he possessed, in a finite degree, governing powers of mind, or God never would have given a directing law how to govern, and subdue, &c. Fourth, in his spiritual constitution exised the breath of divine life; and this property man pos. sessed, after the similitude of the living God.

Now let us with due reverence notice the voice of infinite wisdom, when dictating the creation of man. "God said, let us make man in our own image, after our likeness. So God created man in his own image."

Here, n the voice of God, we find the plural number applies to God, three times; and yet notwithstanding, we are not to conclude from this mode of expression, that there were a plural number of Gods engaged in the creation of man: but the attributes of God, all called into action by the voice of Wisdom. "So God created man in his own image." Here the singular number is applied to the one God. Hence I infer, that the only true and living God out of his immense fulness, created man male and female, in his own divine image. But what is meant by the image of God, in which man was created? And here on this particular point, we ought to be fully satisfied, when by a diligent search, we find that Jesus Christ is the only true image of the invisible God. For St. Paul when speaking of Christ, says, Col. 1. 15. "Who is the image of the invisible Gol, the first born of every creature." And again, Heb. 1. 1, 2, 3, he declares Christ to be the express image of the person of God.

Then as man was created in the image of God, he must have been created in Christ; And as Christ is the first born of every creature, he must have been the first birth of man in as full a sense, as he will be the second birth, when man is born again. For as Christ is the

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beginning of the creation of God." Rev. 3. 14. even so he will be found the end, in the new creation of man, even when man shall be created anew in Christ according to Eph. 2. 10. 4. 24. 2 Cor. 5, 17. Col. 3. 10. And

to be created anew in Christ, presupposes his former creation to be in the same image. Then it will follow, that Christ is the beginning in the creation of man, and the end in his salvation; as he says, Rev. 1. 11, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." So that in the same sense as we first received our sensible existence in Christ, the image of God, even so we must receive eternal life in him at last. Hence God, who saw the end of man in the beginning, blessed him in his only begotten son; saying," Be fruitful, &c." Therefore, man was brought into rational being under the prospect of final happiness, in as much as he was blessed in Christ. "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold it was very good, and the evening and the morning were the sixth day."

Then on

in the herinnino all

༦

of

the sixth day, when God came to view the works of his hands, behold there was not so bad a thing among them as even one reprobate soul: For all was not only midling good, but very good. Hence there could be no devils among them; nor any whom God foresaw would fi nally grow into unalterable devils in the end. For we and ha declared the end from the beginning; and course if all was very goou Will be so in the final end. "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them." And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." This is a very striking figure of that final day, when all things being made new, and the work of Jesus ended, then God will rest in his love, as predicted, Zeph. 3. 17. "The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." Yes, verily, God will then again behold all very good, and bless the glorious work of a Redeemer, which shall have ended in a full salvation of all the moral works of his hand, "He will rest in his love." And may God grant that we through faith, rest also in his love.

CHAPTER 2.

ON THE FORMATION OF MAN.

But

Gen. 2. 4, 5, 6, 7,8. "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb before it grew: For the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his noistrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." Now let us take particular notice, that although the heavens and the earth' with all their hosts were created, previous to man's formation, yet every plant and every tree slept in embryo, and there was not yet a man to till the ground. there was not a man to till the ground. But there was a man to hold communion with God; there existed the proper offspring of God, already created as his own image, and blessed, and who had received a command, to multiply and replenish the earth; even before the means for obedience to that command, were connected with his spiritual existence, while yet unclothed with animal nature, he received instructions to subdue the earth, and to have dominion over animal nature, while as yet, "there was not a man to till the ground." This puts me in mind of our Lord's commanding his apostles to go out, and preach the gospel to every creature; but at the same time reminding them, that they must tarry at Jerusalem, till endued with power from on high. However, there is this difference; those apostles were to receive their power from on hight for a spiritual work, but