8; and in Col. iii. 4, Paul writes, "When Christ who is our life shall appear, THEN (and not at death) shall ye appear with him in glory."

The Saviour does not bestow his rewards until he comes in the clouds. "When the Son of man COMETH, THEN shall he reward every man according to his works." Matt. xvi. 27. Again, Paul distinctly states that the future life of the dead entirely depend on a resurrection: “ For if there is no resurrection of the DEAD, THEN those that are fallen asleep in Christ (Christians) are perished." 1 Cor. xv. 14-18. How could this be the case if believers were gone to heaven at death?

You next refer to Hades, which is a compound word, and means hidden, invisible, the same as. Sheol (Hebrew) both signifying the grave (or place of the dead.) I see, with yon, a difference between Hades, Sheol, and Gehenna, the Jatter referring to the valley of Hinnon south of Jerusalem, where children were burut to Molock. 2 Kings xxiii. 10. I do not understand paradise TO BE IN HEAVEN OR THE GRAVE. Paradise was on the earth, and Christ's kingdom will be under the whole heaven, and when paradise is restored it will be in the new earth.

With regard to the souls of the departed, the word soul has several meanings, nor can it be determined without its context. The term soul is applied to animal life, both man and beast. In some places it signifies persons. "Souls (or persons) on board," in Acts xxvii. 37; in Lev. xvii. 12," No soul of you shall eat blood." In Gen. i. 20, it means life. In 1 Sam. xviii. 1, it signifies affections, nor can I find that souls exist separate from the body IN THE SCRIPTURES, and this idea was taught by the Heathen Philosophers, who were entirely ignorant of the glorious doctrine of the resurrection for which Paul endured such opposition.

At the close of your note you write that I seem to take pleasure in the pros. pect of remaining inanimate till the resurrection. Indeed, I would wish to be satisfied with all God's revealed will, and like Paul say, if I may but attain unto the resurrection ex anastasis out from among the dead, and be one of the blessed and holy who shall have part in the first resurrection. Rev. xx.

Remaining, yours respectfully,

ELLEN TANNER.

THOUGHTS ON THE LORD'S SUPPER.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GOSPEL BANNER:

Dear Brother, Permit me to return thanks for the brotherly reply you gave to my query in your April Banner. You wisely state that "separation from a church which is based on the first principles and institutions of Christianity, is a fearful sin." But a division already exists in this place, has long existed, and is likely to continue, so long as there is not a return to the fruit of the vine, and that too unfermented Mark xiv. 25; Luke xxii. 18.

Since there is a schism here, whether is the congregation the schismatic, or the party who can eat and drink what Jesus ate and drank at his table, but cannot with a good conscience eat unleavened bread, nor drink the fruit of the currant, the bramble, ardent spirits, logwood, quassia and other deleterious compounds? In this matter we have example only to guide us, and if we do not imitate Jesus by using the fruit of the vine, we may as will use pure water as any other liquid.

I have sometimes wondered if, in any grade in civil society, we could find such a want of courtesy around its social board, as is exhibited in this matter by those who sit around the table of Lord, and who said before he died for them, "a new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another."

Brother Rollo has great honour by his diligent search after truth, but his third reason for preferring fermented wine, as given in your April number,

THE GOSPEL BANNER,

appears to be ill founded. "Because unfermented wine is used in Scriptures as an emblem of impurity." Jer. xlviii. 11. It appears to me that our beloved brother has not studied this passage with his usual care; "he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel." It appears not to be the nature of the expressed juice of the grape to settle on its lees till it is fermented indeed the expression "hath settled" conveys the idea of its first being unsettled, that is in a state of fermentation. Thus the only passage quoted to prove that the unfermented juice of the grape is an emblem of impurity, is inapplicable, and if used as an argument, it is against the fermented. According to brother Rollo, cape wine is less adulterated than any other. "The Spirit restricts us to the use of the grape at the supper." Why, then, advise the use of that which is not the fruit of the vine, but at best the result of adultery?

But, as usual, brother R.'s heart is in the right place. would have a church use unfermented wine, rather, than by their liberty of con"But certainly I science, to drive a brother from their communion." Again," There is a danger of making too much ado about trifles." Correct again, brother R. who can use any thing without violating conscience, this is a trifling matter; To those and when they tenaciously hold by their use and wont to the separation of the sons of God, they give melancholy proof that there is danger in making too much ado about trifles: but to those who have been driven from, or kept out of, communion, by the state of this question, it is no trifle; to them it is law, the law of God! which no man can violate, but at his peril.

It is good neither to eat flesh nor drink wine, nor any thing, whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak." stumbling block, and be united; and then shall we appear Let us remove every fair as the sun, and terrible as any army with banners." "clear as the moon,

SIGMA.

NOTE. We have an article to hand on the above subject from our esteemed brother Allan of Linlithgow, which, with our own remarks, we will present to the reader in our next number.-ED.

SCOTCH BAPTISTS BECOMING REFORMERS.

Dear Brother Hudston.-I think it necessary to state to you on the present occasion of writing, that my place of residence is among the Grampians of Scotland, within twelve miles of the northern extremity of Perthshire. I have now lived six years in this place. Previous to my settling here, there existed a church about four miles to the west of this, on the Scotch Baptist principle. It consisted of about fourteen members. Shortly after my arrival and settlement, I made it my business to call on them, when a contest took place between them and myself, (for I was alone as regards human aid,) which continued upwards of two years. The ancient gospel when presented to them in all its simplicity, seemed to them as quite heterodox. Nevertheless after several disputations with them, when all were assembled together, some few of them began to consider the truths which I presented to their minds, and declared themselves on the side of the Truth. This gave me great encouragement to persevere, which has ultimately terminated in a union between them and myself, with three others whom I baptized during the above interval of time. harmoniously together. Numbers have bowed since to the sceptre of our King. We are now going on Five have been added to the church here since the beginning of last monthand many more are beginning to take the Scriptures of the Apostles and Prophets, instead of those of the Scottish Fathers for their instructors. We regularly address the audiences which assemble at the administrations of baptism which take place, as also we do in the house of one of the brethren, where we

assemble on the first day of the week, concerning the things of the kingdom of Jesus, and you will see, and no doubt rejoice with us from the facts above mentioned, that our labour is not in vain in the Lord.

I am, sir, your brother in the Faith and Hope of the Gospel,
THOMAS GLENNIE.

Nethertown, Blackwater by Blairgowrie,

May 14, 1849.

THE above narrative is indeed heart cheering. What Christian soul will not thrill with joy when reading it. The labours of our brother we are persuaded have been arduous, having been directed against ideas and notions more difficult to be overcome than is a strong wall-bound and castled city by a courageous army. We say to him, God speed, as you have begun, so fight and struggle on.—and remember that the Lord will give you your reward.

It is a source of deep regret that the Scotch Baptists as a body should manifest so inflexible an hostility to us. We are persuaded that if they would, as in this case, calmly and candidly discuss the points of difference between us, their prejudices would vanish as mists before the rising sun. They now see our views "through a glass darkly," and the consequence is these are seen in a misshapen and distorted form. Were they to behold them through the clear atmosphere of Scripture, our sentiments would appear as the resurrected doctrines of Christ and his Apostles. EDITOR.

Review Department.

TRUE MODE OF BAPTISM INVESTIGATED; being a plain and compendious summary of evidences in favour of Sprinkling and against Immersion: By THOMAS MILLS. London, John Snow, Paternoster Row; and J. Bakewell, 80, Newgate Street: Nottingham, Thomas Kirk, Peter Gate.

[CONTINUED FROM PAGE 116.]

Mr. MILLS ascribes greater importance to the spirit of obedience than do the Scriptures. He speaks as if it sanctified the action resulting from it, though this might not be the one appointed by God to be produced, Hence, if a religious institution be not observed in due form, yet this spirit atones for all the defects in the observance. The Living Oracles, on the contrary, represent the spirit of obedience as being pleasing to God and valuable to man in proportion as it produces actual obedience to the divine laws and ordinances. The following extract from the prophet Ezekiel, proves this assertion:

"And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them and they shall be my people, and I will be their God." Ezekiel, xi. 19, 20.

Here, then, a renewed and sanctified spirit is promised to be

given in order to produce an observance to Jehovah's laws and statutes. This spirit assuredly enfolds the spirit of obedience in all its fulness. The promise was made to the house of Israel, but its accomplishment caunot be confined to Abraham's seed, because it evidently was to be fulfilled during the gospel dispensation. The promise, therefore, is accomplished in all who become obedient to the Saviour of Adam's tribes. The thinking and unbiassed reader will discern that this spirit is infused into the soul, as a means to an end, or in order to impel an actual submission to the institutions. Hence if it fail to do this, it is of little value to the possessor. As the heart of man is thus love-warmed into pliancy to produce an obedience in deed, it is evident that this submission is at least as acceptable to God and advantageous to man, as the spirit's obedience. No one we think will dispute so apparent and moderate a position. Consequently Mr. Mill's attempt to exalt the spirit of obedience above the action of obedience, is at once unscriptural and futile. But the truth of the position can be displayed still more luminous-as effulgent as if written by a sunbeam. The first obedience we perceive is a cause expressly originated in the soul, in order to produce the latter obedience as an effect. Now causes cannot rise above the importance and value of those effects for whose production they are expressly created. Nature consists of thousands of such causes. A few of which are electricity, light, and air. These are originated in order to produce certain definite effects, which embody the value and importance of their causes. Now let the reader compare a natural cause with its effects, and he will perceive that it cannot even be imagined to transcend them in importance and utility.

The intelligent reader will discern the applicability of these remarks to baptism. It is an institution-an action to be done-and an obedience to it is produced by the spirit of obedience,—hence it is an effect of which the latter is their cause. Now the above arguments demonstrate that the effect is as pleasing to God, and as advantageous to man, as its impelling principle, and consequently as exalted and solemn. Mr. Mill's assertion cannot therefore be true. He also re-asserts that the rite is not precisely defined. We shall therefore prove by the above reasoning, this position to be a "baseless fabric." The spirit of obedience is, as we have shown, preparatory to the action, and consequently is equal to that in value and dignity. Now if the first be fully and clearly defined in the New Testament, the latter must assuredly be. We all affirm that the spirit's obedience is explained in the Scriptures, in words of life and light, and can any one imagine a cause for why the body's obedience should not be as lucidly interpreted? We trow not. Reason pronounces it ought to be, and the Oracles declare it is.

But a dire necessity existed that the institution of baptism, as well as all others, should be accurately defined. The spirit of obedience is an active principle; it will produce actions both moral and religious of some description, but it cannot discern what actions are most acceptable to God, and adapted to its own nature and circumstances. Hence it is liable to impel moral deeds, and originate religious institutions antipodal at once to the honour of God and the interests of man. Such deeds and ordinances it has often produced. It was the spirit of obedience which urged Saul of Tarsus to fly like the plague from city to city, hounding out the despised but holy Nazarenes. It fired him to drag them from their Bethel-homes, and godly brethren, into the Sanhedrim-hall-a den of demons; and it cheered his soul at the sufferings and death of those of whom the world was not worthy. It was this spirit-for " he was zealous towards God," and "lived in all good conscience before God" prior to his conversion, and imagined that he performed deeds of glory to Jehovah. Age after age the spirit of obedience shed the blood of martyrs, sent the sighs and groans of tortured saints to heaven, and brought down upon earth the withering curses of indignant Deity. But are not these assertions too deeply crimson-dyed? Nay, verily. Hear the words of Christ- The time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service." John xvi. 2. And what originated those religious institutions, which are but the abodes of cruelty, impiety, and foolishness? History replies-the spirit of obedience. It produced the horse hair shirts, the iron spikes and girdles, and other instruments of self-torture. It, as voluntary humility, first presented praise and adorations to saints and angels, and it originated the gorgeous yet carnal, the costly yet vain ceremonies of religion. How essentially necessary therefore that the institutious of Christianity should be vividly pourtrayed, in order that the spirit of obedience might discern and embrace them, and thus be preserved from its own inventions.

Again: A strong delineation of the ordinances was not only required for this purpose, but also to prevent, if possible, that spirit from mistaking, and so perverting any of them. Because the same intellectual darkness which causes it to grope after wrong institu tion, will cause it to dimly discern. and so mutilate and corrupt, a right one, and thus convert that into a curse.

And again: By being so explicitly revealed, if man does pollute. the holy religion of Jesus by his inventions or distortions, and has to suffer the direful consequences of his folly, no blame or reproach can be laid upon God. All the pure and holy beings in his great universe declare that God is just and good, aye, and merciful, while permitting man to eat the fruit of his doings.