evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is evil;" I say, if we are to judge by this unerring rule, what must be the heart-treasure of this Onesimus? Can it be faith in God through a mediator, or hope within the vail? or love at the right hand of God, where Christ sitteth? Not a grain of this treasure, not a spark of this fire, not a drop from this well, appears in all his letter; but indignation at those who have dealt honestly with him, a thirst for vengeance on them, a conspicuous separation from the living vine, and a withering upon it; a loss of all the prospects of the King in his beauty, and stumbling upon the dark mountains. Harmonious views of divine revelation there are none; but a bewildered maze of confusion appears throughout the whole of this insolent and arrogant publication. And fully persuaded am I that such will go from bad to worse; neither take they hold of the path of life. But are these productions the firstfruits of the harvest? are these the earnests and pledges of the future inheritance? are these the aboundings of hope, or that knowledge that proclaims us men in understanding? Can it be called going on unto perfection, or to a being holy and without blame before him in love, when to all eternity we are to grope in hope, or sink into despair? No, reader; this is so far from being the good treasure of grace, that it is evidently the production of blindness, ignorance, and unbelief. And, though rails sadly at preaching the

word, this I will be bold to assert, that Onesimus never will, either in this world or in the world to come, lose sight or get rid of the testimony for Christ which he has heard. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the word, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come," Mat. xxiv. 14.

But Onesimus goes on: Because prophesies and tongues are said to cease, does faith and 'hope also? They might as well assert that we ‹ shall be deaf, and blind, and dumb, in heaven.' Answer: If souls in heaven were blind, it would be possible for them to exercise faith and hope, because sight is opposed to these graces, both to faith and to hope; "We walk by faith, and not by sight," 2 Cor. v. 7; and it is said the same of hope; for, "We hope for hat we see not." Now Onesimus himself affirms that in heaven we shall not be deaf, dumb, nor blind; and this assertion destroys all that he attempts to build; for, if there is no blindness there, then it is impossible that his faith and hope shall exist, because here we walk by faith, and not by sight; but in heaven they walk by sight and not by faith; and, Hope that is seen is not hope," Rom. viii. 24. His excluding all blindness from heaven destroys all his faith and hope in heaven. He is under the necessity of proving that all the heavenly glories are out of sight, and that all the inhabitants there are blind with respect to the glories of endless day, before he can establish the cistence of faith and

hope; for, "Hope that is seen is not hope." There are three things which a saint hopes for,

1. The first is, "Of the hope and resurrection. of the dead I am called in question," Acts xxiii. 6.

2. To be found in that day in Christ and in his righteousness: "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith," Gal. v. 5.

3. The unseen glories of another world, which are hoped for. Even these, by metonymy, bear the same name as the grace of hope does which is exercised about them: "We give thanks to God, praying always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints; for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven," Col. i. 4, 5. But, when a man is raised from the dead in power, in incorruption, and in immortality, and is presented to the bridegroom in the wedding garment, and shines like the sun in the glory of his Father's kingdom for ever and ever, hope cannot exist; this shining in glory must put a final stop to it; for, "Hope that is seen is not hope." Onesimus goes on.

But what is it mercenaries will not attempt against those who read not the scriptures for C themselves?'

Answer: Onesimus has gained much by reading the scriptures; for so far is he from his path shining more and more to perfect day, or from comprehending with all the saints the heights and depths of the love of God, that the poorest soul in Zion, who puts his mouth in the dust, if so be

there may be hope, is just as forward toward perfection as his glorified saint in heaven, for in heaven he is obliged to hope or despair; and every sinner, upon his first awakening, stands upon as good ground as this. So that, according to Onesimus, the hoping sinner is better off than the glorified saint; "For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope;" but he that enjoys the inheritance of the saints in light cannot hope; for, "Hope that is seen is not hope." But Onesimus proceeds:

'If the faculties of the soul cease in heaven, all is blank; there is neither speech, or hearing, or 'aught to be understood.'

Answer: If speech and hearing be faculties of the soul, let Onesimus describe them, that we may know how glorified spirits, in a separate state, do speak without bodily tongues, and how they hear without bodily ears. I will not deny that they do both speak and hear; but then these things are too high and too wonderful for us; and we know that none but such as Onesimus can give us a true description of these things, wherefore we submit them to his superior and infallible judgment; knowing that the man who can describe the hope of his Creator in heaven must be deeply skilled in the mysteries of glory, though Paul, who had been caught up into the third heaven, and heard unspeakable words, confessed that they were not lawful for a man to utter, 2 Çor. xii. 4.

And, though Onesimus declares that angels, on

"I am

the ground of their own faith, declared the things that should be fulfilled in their season, which they hoped and expected, yet we know that divine predictions do not depend upon the faith and hope of the messenger, but on God, who sends the message The high-priest of the Jews prophesied that Christ should die for that nation, and it came to pass; though faith and hope were both wanting in the high-priest. Balaam's prophecies came to pass, though he perished, as all other hypocrites do, without either faith or hope: "If we believe not," says Paul, "God abideth faithful; he cannot deny himself." Nor are angels the authors of divine revelation; that is all given by inspiration of God, and depends solely upon the faithfulness of God to make it good; and this the angel owns, Gabriel that stand in the presence of God, and am sent to shew thee these glad tidings;" and, in his speech to Mary, he refers the whole of his message to be accomplished by the omnipotence of God, saying," For with God nothing shall be impossible, Luke i. 37. We read of the light of angels, the glory of angels, the holiness of angels, and of their excelling in strength; but as for their internal endowments, or with what they are furnished, or how adorned, we know not. We have no account either of their faith, hope, or patience. "Secret things belong to God, but what is revealed belongs to us:" "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar," Prov. xxx. 6. Divine revelation will not