dearing sympathies of kindred and of brotherhood, that I love to look upon it thus, nor can easily withdraw my mind from the delightful contemplation. "For we have not an high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

Farther, as we have proved that pardon and reconciliation, if received at all, must be received of God's free and unmerited goodness, and have shown also the necessity of severe sanctions to his eternal law,- it follows that mercy and goodness can be extended only by means of a message sent by God to man. It is one thing for a man to take pardon and reconciliation to himself, and quite another to receive them freely given. The first he has no right to do, otherwise what shall become of the sanctions of the law; the second he cannot have without an accredited message from God, nor can that message be accredited otherwise than by miracles. Thus we prove the absolute necessity for a Divine Revelation, as well as the entire philosophical truth, and God-like wisdom, of the fundamental doctrines of ourmost holy scriptures.

Finally, let it be observed, that the mere reading and by words acknowledging the truth of these

doctrines, will be of no avail to any man. But they must be received so as to be continually acknowledged, in thought, word, and deed. The life and conduct must be formed upon them: they must be wrought into the whole frame-work of our manifold associations and ideas, so as to be continually at hand, continually alive and operative they must be, as it were, incorporated in the mind itself, and become a living principle of holy and righteous and devotional feeling. To accomplish this is a difficult matter, requiring time and perseverance and constant vigilance. Frequent meditation and self-examination are evidently most proper instruments; but the man who has made the experiment finds these insufficient of themselves. The work is too great, indeed, for mere human power: - this I state, not as a philosophical deduction, but as my conviction from experience, as well as that of all experimental Christians; and, moreover, it is plainly acknowledged and declared in scripture. God has there revealed the effectual means for our sanctification, namely, his Holy and Living Spirit, which he has promised to those who ask him. We have formerly shown that the doctrine of spiritual influences, and of the direct answer to prayer, is not contradicted by any principle in philosophy. But the farther consideration of these and other mysteries of Christianity, we reserve for another chapter.

CHAPTER XXVI.

INTRODUCTION TO THE DEEPER MYSTERIES OF REVEALED RELIDIGRESSION CONCERNING FUTURE PUNISHMENTS.

GION.

THE truth of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity having been demonstrated, in such a manner as directly proves it to be a revelation from God, it will not be thought unreasonable that it should contain some farther truths, the certainty of which cannot be established by mere reason, though their antecedent probability, and their consistency with philosophy, may be satisfactorily shown. In treating of these it is necessary to take higher ground, founding upon scripture as the very word of God. This we are entitled to do by the result of our previous argument, especially when taken in connection with the historical and prophetical evidences, in which, if the reader is not already informed, he may be instructed by many excellent writers. The subjects on which we are now about to enter are, indeed, the mysteries of revealed religion, to the

understanding of which not even many Christians attain. And they seem written partly that we may not be puffed up at any time with an idea of our own knowledge, but may find, as we advance in our attainments, still more and more room for higher and higher advances. For the scriptures, though containing truth adapted even to the understanding of a child, have yet a height and depth of wisdom sufficient to exercise to the utmost the improved faculties of maturer age.

In entering upon the consideration of the Mysteries, I fear that some will think that the boundaries of reason are transgressed; as indeed many may be apt to say that I have already proceeded too far, in representing the deductions of philosophy on a level with popular Christianity. To these I would humbly answer, that I apprehend this age to be the commencement of a prophetic era, to which the words of an inspired writer are not inapplicable, that "the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven-fold, as the light of seven days." Now if the "sun" stand for the revealed light of the world, what can the "moon" mean but the feebler light of natural religion. And here, then, we have an indication that in this age, or at least at some time, natural religion will be brought up to the degree of light hitherto afforded by revealed truth, while at the same time, and probably by the same means, the light of revelation shall be

come seven-fold. Not that the Sun of Righteousness shall be more truly glorious, but that those mists and clouds of prejudice and false opinion, which are the great obstructions to His gracious influence, shall be finally dispersed and removed. I humbly pray God, that, in what I have to offer, I may be withheld from rashly setting up any false and seducing light; and that he may lead my reader well to consider before he either receive as truth, or reject as error.

But before proceeding to those glorious mysteries, I must pause for a little to redeem a promise formerly made in treating of the bearings of philosophy on the doctrine of Future Punishments. To avoid repetition, the reader is here referred to the nineteenth chapter, where he will find the light of human reason on this subject candidly exhibited. We were there led to the conclusion, that future punishments will not be never-ending, or eternal, in the absolute sense of the words; but stated at the same time the fact that they are spoken of in scripture as eternal: we referred to some former observations, in which truth was distinguished as either absolute or relative: we glanced, also, at the design of scripture, as exhibiting chiefly relative truth, but with the purpose to bring us nearer to truth absolute, and for