SECTION XII.

The perversion and misapplication of Scriptures in the Apology are such, and in so many instances, that it would take a volume to correct them all; and they are so scattered through the work, that it is difficult to select those that are the most necessary to be noticed. However, I shall attempt a little towards it, by observing,

1. That literal passages are so construed, as to give them a figurative meaning. As John V. 28, 29, "For the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." "This," says our author, "is figurative language." p. 98. But why so? There is no evidence of it; and we are not to understand any thing figuratively, without a necessity arising from the nature and connection of the subject. Our Saviour had just said to the people in figurative language, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live." v. 25. The meaning is, that such as were dead in tresspasses and sins, were, and should be, quickened by the word and Spirit of Christ, and should live a spiritual life, as in verse 24th. As his hearers might wonder at what he had said, he adds, "Marvel not at this," for something equally surprising and interesting should be literally accomplished by his all-powerful word:

the time was coming, "when all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth." Here let it be noticed, that in the 25th verse, it is said the hour is coming, and now is, in the present time. But the dead were not then literally raised to life; but some of the spiritually dead were raised to spiritual life, and multitudes should be afterwards. But in the 28th and 29th verses, the subject is altogether future; "the hour is coming" Again, in the former verse, all that hear shall live, without exception; but in the latter, although all should come forth out of their graves literally, yet only the good shall be raised to life, but the others to damnation.

Mr. H. quotes 1 Cor. XV. 22, to prove that all shall be made new creatures in Christ. p. 74. Now let the reader turn to this passage and its connection, and he will at once see, that the apostle meant nothing more or less than the literal death of the body, and the literal resurrection of the same.*

2. Figurative passages are understood literally. As Isa. XLV. 17, 25, "Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation; In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shal! glory." Rom. XI. 26, "And so all Israel shall be saved," &c. p. 45. Jer. XXXI. 31, “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah." In all these places not literal Israel, but spiritual Israel is intended. For in the new covenam, "They are not all Israel which are of Israel. Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children; but in Isaac shall thy seed be called; that is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children

See also Dan. XII. 2. 2 Cor. V. 10. 2 Thes. I. 6-10, and others,

of the promise are counted for the seed." And "he is not a Jew which is one outwardly; but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, whose praise is not of men but of God." Rom. II. 28, 29, and IX. 6—8.

3. Many texts are applied to all the world, which belong to such only as are believers in Christ. Jer. XXXĨ. 34, “ They shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD.” John VI. 45, "They shall be all taught of God." Gal. III. 13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law," &c. p. 75.* All these passages, Mr. H. if I understand him, applies to mankind generally, saint and sinner; but it is only the believer that knows the Lord, that is redeemed from the curse, that obeys from the heart the doctrine of the gospel, and shall enjoy the glorious liberty of the children of God, and the things God hath prepared for them that love him; as is evident from the passages themselves and their connection.

4. Many passages which speak of the way of salvation as opened to all men through faith in Christ, are considered in the Apology as implying, that all will certainly be saved. 2 Cor. V. 14, 15, "We thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead." "That is, says Mr. H. all dead to sin." p. 68. But did he believe that all were dead to sin, when it is so apparent, that the greater part of mankind are alive to sin, and very lively in it? I confess it is difficult reasoning with a person, who will assert things so apparently contrary to facts, and to the general language of scripture. The apostle's argument is, that as Christ died for all, in the sense, that "whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life;" so it might be inferred, that all were

* See also Rom. VI. 17, and VIII. 20, 21. 1 Cor. II. 9. p. 21, 22.

dead-in a perishing condition, or their salvation would not need the death of Christ. The apostle adds, "he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them." It appears, that notwithstanding all were dead in trespasses and sins, yet some should live, and live to Christ. And the very sentence, they which live, necessarily implies, that only a part would live. Hence if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Are the whole world new creatures? If not, then they are not in Christ, in the sense of the apostle

One more passage must be particularly noticed. Rom. V. 18, "As by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." p. 72. The free gift, which comes upon all men unto justification of life, comes upon all men in the preaching of the gospel. So "the grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men." Tit. II. 11. Hath appeared in the preaching of the gospel, and written word, and no other way. And in this sense, "all flesh shall see the salvation of God." According to this the commission given to the apostles, was, "go preach the gospel to every creature,

5. The glorious predictions of the universal spread of the gospel in the latter day, are used by Mr. H. to make out, that every individual of the children of men will finally be saved. This I have already noticed, to which I refer the reader.

6. Our author produces promises made to the righteous, but omits the threatenings connected with

* See Luke II. 10, 11. Acts XIII. 32, 33. Rom. XV. 8, 9. p. 71.

them; as I have already observed, with respect to Psalm II. 9-11, and Isa. XLV. 23, 24. in pp. 2834, which see.

In page 87, Mr. H. says, "I was cast down, I was in affliction, I suffered much terror and dread, because I thought, that the Almighty would remember our sins eternally against us, if we died in them, and that he would contend forever, and be always wroth: many a time, finding my unfaithfulness to be so great, and my faults so many, I awfully feared that I and many other Gentiles must finally have to endure the terrible flames of his wrath to an endless world. But he has caused me to understand and believe his declarations in the gospel testimony;" which, according to him, is salvation for all men. This appa rently filled his heart with gladness; and he expresses himself on the occasion in strains of great joy.

Upon the above, I would remark, 1. That Mr. H. appears to have been under some considerable anxiety about the salvation of his soul. 2. It does not appear that he found any relief to his mind arising from a view of the excellency of the character of God in Christ, aside from universalism; or that he ever obtained an evidence, that his sins were forgiven. 3. As he found relief only in the belief that all mankind should be saved, it reminds me of what I have often thought, that many embrace the doctrine of universal salvation, because it presents to them a hope of escaping future punishment without regeneration or true faith in Christ. 4. Many in full belief of that doctrine, which gave Mr. H. so`much distress, have had at the same time unspeakable satisfaction in the Lord, and have enjoyed a sealing