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tution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the world began."

ure.

That this text is perverted when pressed into the service of Universalism, will appear evident from the following considerations. 1. A restitution is to replace a thing in its former state, and it implies, if applied to man, an apostacy, or forfeitDo Universalists believe in this apostacy of our race? Do they regard mankind as having forfeited salvation by reason of sin? No. Universalists believe in no such doctrine. You very well know that they regard mankind now as occupying the same position as to their moral and physical natures with our first parents before they partook of the forbidden fruit. This question you will find discussed at large, and the views of Universalists stated fully in Mr. Balfour's Essays. If man is not fallen he cannot be restored, and as Universalism denies the fall, so it has no right to appropriate to its own use a text of Scripture, which promises a restitution. Whatever the RESTITUTION in the text may mean, we know it cannot mean that any are to be restored who have never been lost.2. The restitution in the text does not necessarily apply to all men. The promise is that all things (not men) which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, shall be restored; that is, all things which God has promised to reinstate to their pristine holiness and glory, he will accomplish at the coming of Christ. He has not promised to restore all men by the mouth of all his holy prophets, but he has promised his grace and salvation to all that fear his name. 3. The restitution promised is to take place at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Whom the heavens must receive till the times of the restitution." Well now, as you profess to believe that the coming of Christ took place at the destruction of Jerusalem, you are bound in consistency, with yourself and your whole system, to refer the restitution here spoken of, to that all-important event. 4. I understand the text just as it reads. To my mind it promises that at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, he will regenerate the earth and the visible heavens by fire, remove from the earth the curse under which it has groaned ever since sin entered the world, and thus literally and emphatically present his saints the new heavens and earth as their eternal inheritance. Peter speaks of this restitution again when he describes it as following the general conflagration."Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; nevertheless, we accor3*

ding to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Pet. 3: 12, 13. The same restitution of all things which God hath promised by the Revelator. "And I saw a new heaven and earth, for the first heaven and earth were passed away and there was no more sea; and I John saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God, out of heaven prepared as a bride for her husband." Rev. 21: 1,2. That all men are not admitted as inhabitants of that regenerated earth and heaven, is evident from what the faithful apostle says in the 8th verse. After describing the felicity of that happy world, where "God shall wipe all tears from their eyes," he adds, to prevent any misapplication, "But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers and whore-mongers, and idolaters and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

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All things which God hath promised to restore will be fulfilled. He has promised to raise all men from the dead, Dan. 12:3. John 5: 28,29, and that will be done. He has promised to regenerate the earth with fire, and make it once more a paradise, fitted to the eternal abode of his redeemed, resurrection saints. Mal. 3: 16—18. 4: 1–3. Isa. 55: 17.66: 22. Matt. 5: 5. 2 Pet. 3.7-11. Rev. 5. 9, 10. 21: 1-7. And this glorious work will be done. But God has nowhere promised in the Old Testament or the New, to restore those who live and die in rebellion against his throne, and this will not be done.

Your preachers and authors frequently quote Rom. 6: 23. "The gift of God is eternal life." But what has this text to do with proving that there is no punishment for the wicked in the world to come? Is not our present life and all our temporal blessings equally the gift of God? And yet are not these "gifts of God" sometimes rejected, and at other times perverted and converted into curses? Temporal life is a gift of God, and yet it is possessed with all its concomitant enjoyments conditionally. If you refuse to comply with the conditions of health, i. e. to take wholesome food, exercise in pure air and proper rest, you will speedily sicken and die. Forgiveness of sin is "a gift of God," and yet it is a gift bestowed on the simple and easy condition of repentance. Eternal life and blessedness is a "gift of God," bestowed upon the condition of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:14-16; but those who will not believe in Jesus Christ, are told they "shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth upon them."

Another favorite text which sometimes is pressed into the

services of Universalism is Rom. 6:7. "He that is dead is free from sin."

You are aware, that persons are said to be dead in several different senses. A person is dead when the connection between body and soul is dissolved; at other times a person is said in Scripture language, to be dead when his soul has lost the favor and presence of God; and at other times, a person is said to be dead, who is crucified to the world and the world crucified to him. Now the question is, in which of these sensês does the Apostle use the word dead in this text? I answer without hesitation in the sense of being crucified to the world. Look at the context. See how the Apostle introduces the figure. "How shall WE (christians) that are dead to sin live any longer therein?" ver. 2. Here then you see that the persons who were dead were the living Apostle and his christian brethren at Rome, and the death which was upon them was "a death to sin." So in the following context, the same idea is repeated. "Now, if we (christians) be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." Here then you see the Apostle is not speaking of the death of the body, but on the contrary, of that death which is a crucifixion to the world. When you experience this death, my dear sir, you will be free from your old sins, they will have no more dominion over

you.

May your mind be led into a knowledge and enjoyment of that truth which maketh free indeed. Yours as ever.

LETTER XII.

My Dear Sir:

Perhaps there is no portion of the New Testament upon which you place more dependence than the 15th chapter of 1st Cor. It will be my duty then to bestow a little attention to the evidence which you suppose you have in this portion of the Word of God, in favor of your peculiar system. In the 22d verse Universalism is supposed to exist as in a kind of a nutshell.

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"For as in Adam all die; even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Does this text teach Universalism? I think not. few moments spent by way of investigation will clearly show

that this text, with others, is most egregiously perverted when pressed into the service of the no-future punishment scheme.

1. Let us inquire what is the scope and drift of the passage? Upon what subject is the apostle treating? Is he illustrating the plan of salvation? Is he showing how all men have become sinners in consequence of Adam's transgression, and how all men will be made holy and happy in consequence of Christ's obedience? No. Is the apostle treating on the subject of a moral death and a moral life? No. On what subject then is he treating? On the subject of the death and resurrection of the body. To illustrate and prove the christian doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, the whole chapter was written. In the preceding context he shows the possibility of the resurrection of the literally dead, by proving the resurrection of Jesus Christ. After stating that "Christ died for our sins," that "he was buried, and rose again the third day," and proving this, he introduces the text on this wise: "For since by man (Adam) came death (death of the body) by man (Christ) came also the resurrection of the dead; for as in Adam (the man alluded to) all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive," that is, all shall be raised from the dead.

Well, now, according to the rules of sound Biblical interpretation, we are bound to understand the apostle according to the scope of the passage. We find he is treating on the subject of the death and resurrection of the body. This is the main, the leading and exclusive point. He is proving that the dead would rise, and hence it was natural for him to show in what way men have become subject to temporal death. His argument requires him to make a statement on that point. He makes it. "In Adam ALL die." Now he wishes to show how the dominion of temporal death will be broken up by the resurrection, and hence he says antithetically, "Even so in Christ shall ALL be made alive.

2. The form of the passage is what is called an antithesis, i. e. opposition of words or sentiments. It is that form of speech in which words or sentiments are to be understood literally in opposition or contrast. To know, then, in what sense the apostle is to be understood that all are to be made alive in Christ, we are to inquire in what sense he affirms all die in Adam. The dying in Adam is the direct and literal opposite of being made alive in Christ. If the dying in Adam is a spiritual death, then the being made alive in Christ, is a spiritual life. But if the death in Adam is a temporal death, then life in Christ is the literal resurrection from the dead.

Well, now, to say no more of the scope of the apostle's argument, which shows him to be treating on temporal death and a literal resurrection, I would remark, that it would be well for you to remember, when you bring this text forward to prove that all will be made morally and spiritually alive in Christ, that Universalists do not believe that all men have been made morally or spiritually dead in Adam. This doctrine of original sin, or the fall of man through Adam, which is universally denied by Universalists, must be admitted by them before they can, as honest men, file in any claim upon the latter clause of this antithetical passage, as at all favoring their system. In fact, according to your standard authors, Universalists do not believe that our race either die spiritually or temporally in Adam; and hence as honest men they have no right to bring forward this text, either to prove the universal holiness or resurrection of mankind.

3. The apostle in the following context has cut off the possibility of understanding him to affirm that all are to be made spiritually alive and equally happy in Christ. Read the passage in connection with the following context. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive, but every man in HIS OWN ORDER, Christ the first fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming, then cometh the end," or con summation of the resurrection.

Every man then is to be made alive in his own order, in his proper rank, place and time. The word here rendered order, is tagma. It is a military word, and means troop or company. As in an army, each man stands connected and marshalled with others according to his age, character, office, or qualifications, so will it be in the resurrection of the dead, when all men, the righteous and the wicked, will be made alive in Christ,0" Every man in his OWN ORDER.” The martyrs and saints of God will rise in their order. They will be Christ's at his coming, and will have a part in the first resurrection. 1 Thes. 4:14-16; Rev. 20:4-6. Bold blasphemers and ungodly men will each and all rise in their "own order." Death will not have swept their moral characters into eternal oblivion. He who marshalled the stars of heaven 'in their various constellations, will not fail to marshal the rising millions of the dead, assign each and all of them exactly that position, while standing around his "great white throne" in judgment, and through the wasteless ages of eternity, which their moral characters require.

From this "ORDER" in the resurrection and judgment,

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