order; Christ the first fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming." Here we have two ideas concerning the resurrection;→→ progression; "Christ is the first fruits; afterwards,” i. e. the next in order," those that are Christ's, at his coming." These shall be raised immediately at his second appearance, and are therefore said to have part in the first resurrection, and to be blessed and happy, being delivered from the second death, and living and reigning with Christ a thousand years, before the rest of the dead live again at all, Rev. xx. 4-6. The next idea in the above words of Paul is regularity; "every man in his own order," raypal, his proper rank. This word, which is a military one, and refers to the rank and file of a well ordered army, is highly expressive of regularity, and both the ideas of the apostle lead to the universality of the resurrection, which he had before expressed. The idea of a first, and consequently of a second resurrection, is taught elsewhere, as in Luke, xx. 35, 36. In this passage our Lord describes the children of God as obtaining the future age, and the resurrection from the dead; and he calls them also, the children of the resurrection. Now, as all men will be raised, why are some said to obtain the resurrection from the dead, by way of distinction from others? And why are they called fhe children of the resurrection by way of eminence? I think the connection of the words will answer these questions. Our Lord is describing two ages,-not two eternities-this age and that age, and he connects that age, which is to come, with the resurrection of the children of God, representing thereby that the commencement of that age, and their resurrection shall take place together. This is the same view that we have before noticed from Paul and John, and this will far to prove that Rev. xx. 4—6. ought to be taken literally, because it Il go literally agrees with our Lord's doctrine and with that of Paul. Let it be also added, that if we are to take what John says concerning the first resurrection figuratively, then, by parity of reason, we ought to take his account of the general resurrection and judgment in a figurative sense also; and some actually do so, and have made sad havoc of the Scriptures thereby. But in support of a first and second resurrection we may mention other Scriptures, as Phil. iii. 21. and 1 Thes. iv. 16. I leave these to the consideration of the reader, in connection with the other.. But as it seems that the objector to Mr. Payne's view of the resurrection, (which I suppose is the same as I have stated) has brought forward an objection taken from Job, xiv. 10-12. and Mr. P. himself admits that this passage refers to the general resurrection, I conceive it is the admission of this which forms his difficulty; and probably the phrase, "Man lieth down TILL the heavens be no more," has been understood, toth by Mr. P. and his friend, as expressive of the certainty of the general resurrection, when the heavens are no more. would ask, is this idea scriptural? I think it is not. For though we But I are told that "the heavens (that is, the airs, in all their regions, whether high or low) shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, VOL. IV. Zz shall be burnt up," for the perdition of ungodly men; yet it is evident from the nature of things, that ungodly men must first be raised and judged, before they can be consigned to perdition, in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone: and so indeed we are taught in Rev. xv. 11-15. Therefore the resurrection of men at large will take place before the heavens are no more, in the sense above stated, Beside which the mode of speaking which Job makes use of, does not necessarily imply that there will be any resurrection at all; but rather, if other Scriptures had not taught that doctrine clearly and expressly, I should have thought that he meant to express his firm belief that man would have no existence after death. Yet see Job, xix. 25-27. In Isa, xlii. the prophet describes the anointing and mission of Christ, and says, "He shall not fail, nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth." The evangelist Matthew, (chap. xii.) quotes the passage with some variation, but uses the same form of expression as the prophet-" A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoaking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory." Surely the prophet did not mean to say that Christ should fail and be discouraged when he had set judgment in the earth; nor did the evangelist mean to say that Christ would break the bruised reed, and quench the smoaking flax, when he had brought forth judgment unto victory. So neither do I conceive that Job meant to say that man would rise from the dead when the heavens were no more. If Mr. P. will consult the context, and consider some other passages in the book of Job, he will probably see that the speaker is only shewing the brevity of human life, and that a man, once taken off by death, will return no more to live in his present state, or to possess his present enjoyments. "For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant: but man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up, so man lieth down,, and riseth not till the heavens be no more: they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep." And in the 14th verse," If a man die, shall he live again?" And ver. 19 and 20. "Thou destroyest the hope of man, thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away." So in ch. vii. 7-10. "O remember, that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good. The eye of him that seeth me, shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not. As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more." Ch. x. 20, 21. "Are not my days few? Cease, then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death." I conclude that the doctrine of a first, and consequently of a second resurrection, stands firm, as a Scripture truth; and my hearty prayer is, that both Mr. P. and his friend may be blessed and holy, and have part in the first resurrection, and reign with Christ upon the earth. 1 am, NO stage of human existence is exempt from erroneous judgment; this should operate as a reason why such poor frail beings as men should not attempt to bear each other down under the pretence of infallibility, or any thing that savors of presumption. XLIV. The goodness of the heart and the clearness of the head, are very different things. When they meet in the same person, they render the possessor truly amiable; when the former is alone conspicuous we love it; but a good understanding alone is neither the object of affection, of confidence, or esteem. XLV. Respecting the necessity of public worship, as that kind of practical allegiance to Almighty God, which is necessary to preserve our sense of dependance upon him, and the rectitude of his laws, and the goodness of his providence, all serious men are agreed; respecting the MODE of that worship, no argument is required to prove that there hath almost always been a difference of sentiment; and respecting the order of discipline, which has been considered as an appendage of worship, the Christian world hath been ever disagreeing, since the embodying of churches. The confusion began even in the times of supposed apostolical purity, and hath ever since continued, a source of unhappiness -furnishing spots in the Christian feast of charity! XLVI. No right, however built on example, can supersede, in matters of faith, the unalienable right of private judgment: and where that right subsists in nature, no restraining power over individuals can exist in any church, so as to prevent their offering, even publicly, reasons of dissatisfaction; because on such reasons must be founded every improvement that can possibly take place. A church, or distinctly associated body, is a public object; and justly an object of public inspection and animadversion; if she be necessary at all, she is mainly necessary as a light in the world, and whereinsoever she has any deformity of parts, it should be pointed out, not only that blindnesss in part may not, as it did to Israel formerly, happen to herself, but that her comparative excellencies may be fully and fairly known, XLVII. Arguments drawn from the sufferings of first reformers, and establishers of church distinctions, in favour of the rectitude of the principles so established, is ever a tender theme, and ever prevalent with a considerable part of the religious world; but it is far from appearing clear, that such sufferings, which have often been the natural consequence of singular or of new opinions, in times of national distraction and darkness, are in themselves a sufficient warrant for us to consider those opinions as of divine original; or the conduct of such reformers as uniformly wise, and worthy to be followed, Many such suffering men have set us noble examples of faithfulness under afflictions, which befel them in the cause of truth; to some of these we owe much veneration for that wisdom and firmness with which they opposed religious imposition and tyranny. So far they have uniformly given proofs of sincerity; but in considering this, it is also to be remembered, that sincerity hath often appeared on both sides of the same cause; sincerity hath been the companion of martyrdom among men of various and even opposite principles. And though martyrdom may justly be considered as the last test of a man's sincerity, it can be no uniform test of TRUTH. From these, as well as various other considerations in religion, appears the necessity of our soberly, earnestly, patiently, and meekly enquiring for ourselves, what we are to believe, and what our Lord would have us to do, XLVIII. 'Zeal for religion is too generally one of the most blinding and treacherous things in the world. Mere zeal is so accustomed to dwell on the feeble reflections of peculiar faith, and peculiar works of devotion, as necessary to the pleasure, which is resolvable into the happiness, of God (who is infinitely happy in his own perfections), that it raises a mist of error all around itself, obstructing the rays of reason, and giving a deep, fearful, and ominous tinge, even to the beams of God's own righteousness, shining into the heart. TO BE CONTINUED. POETRY. DEPENDANCE ON GOD, A FRAGMENT. ON God for all events depend, You cannot want when God's your friend. The hand that form'd thee in the womb, Guides from the cradle to the tomb. ON THE MORNING. LO! yonder saffron beams effulgent rise, In glitt'ring splendor from the eastern skies; Offspring of light, to daring Titan born, Whose hand with roses strews the blushing morn. The gushing rays that from Aurora team, On the blue ocean's mirrored stream, Shall tinge the distant shore with early red, As purpling beams proceed from Tithon's bed. |