intend it as synonimous with the children of God is evident from the express distinction which he makes between them and the whole creation, in the passage under consideration. After telling us in the 22d verse, that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth, he says in the 23d, "and not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves." That he did not use the whole creation to embrace every child of Adam, is plain from Col. 1: 23; where he declares that even in his day, the gospel "was preached in the whole creation." In this place, and in Romans 8th, it appears to signify the whole earth: that earth which, according to Gen. 3: 17, participated in the curse pronounced upon fallen man; that earth, which, with all its irrational appendages animate and inanimate, yet groans and travails in pain under the abuse which men have made of it; that earth which is destined to be delivered from this abuse, and to rejoice, with its hills and forests* herds and flocks, in the liberty of the children of God. Long before this deliverance, it is said, in Rev. 5: 13, that "every creature which is in Heaven, and on the earth, and. under the earth, and such as are in the sea. and all that are in them, heard I saying, blessing and honour and glory and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." By examining the context it will be seen that this took place before the opening of the Apocalyptic seals; that is, many hundreds of years ago. It cannot, therefore, mean that every descendant of Adam thus praised God, because many were not yet born. Neither can it mean that all then living praised him as the children of God, because the mass of mankind were then, as they are yet, enemies to God. But it was true then, that "the heavens declare the glory of God," and it is yet true that "surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." In the same way that universal homage which is expressed in many of the above texts, is explained by an inspired writer, Besides other passages of the Old and New Testaments, the Apostle Paul is quoted as saying "that in the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." The same Apostle has clearly shewn that such declarations do not contain the doctrine of universal salva tion, but that of a general judgment, after which he assures us that some shall be punished with everlasting destruction. The passage is in Rom. 14: 10-12. "But why dost thou "judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy bro"ther? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of "Christ. For it is written, as I live saith the Lord, every "knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to "God. So then, every one of us shall give account, of him"self to God." It would be strange indeed, for the Apostle to preach universal salvation as a motive to deter a mortal from judging his brother! Instead of this he reminds him that every tongue thus judging, must confess before the judgment-seat of Christ, and every stiff knee must bow there, however reluctantly. And let it be remembered that the Judge himself has already informed us of the result of this awful account." Then shall he say also, unto them on the left hand, "depart from me, ye accursed into everlasting fire, prepared "for the devil and his angels."* It has already been shewn in the refutation of the 7th argument, that Christ's gathering all things related to this same great consummation. In the context† it was shewn that at that period, he should put all things, that is, his enemies, under his feet. It was there said, that the scriptures affirm that this treatment is given to enemies, both by God and man.When Joshua had conquered the five Kings of Canaan, he ordered his followers to bring them out of the cave in which they had taken refuge." And they did so, and brought forth "those five Kings unto him, out of the cave, the King of Je"rusalem, the King of Hebron, the King of Jarmuth, the 66 " King of Lachish, and the King of Eglon. And it came to "pass, when they brought out those Kings unto Joshua, that "Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come "near, put your feet upon the necks of these Kings. And 'they came near and put their feet upon the necks of them. "And Joshua said unto them, fear not, nor be dismayed, be "strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all "your enemies against whom ye fight." He does not say that God will put put his feet upon their sins, but upon their necks; and that not as children, but as enemies. How utterly preposterous, then, to say, that when he speaks of putting all things and all enemies under the feet of Christ, and of his destroying, subduing, and subjecting them, he means saving them!! Those passages are of a different description, which represent Christ as not coming to condemn the world, but to save the world; not contending with men but shewing mercy to them; drawing, reconciling, shadowing, filling, justifying, and blessing them. And here it may not be amiss to notice a very few of the apparent inconsistencies of my opponent and other Universalist polemics. Although they dispute the inspiration of the Apocalypse, yet if Rev. 5: 13, will supply matter for declamation or sophistry it is used as good evidence, by my opponent,* or Mr. Ballou, or any other. Although they profess to believe parables mere falsehoods, yet as Ezek. 17: 22-4, speaks of "all fowl of every wing," and "all the trees of the field," coming under the shadow of the "goodly cedar," this must be true, while they can see nothing but mere fiction in the torment of the rich man and others whose hearts are as a cage of unclean birds; or in casting out of the garden and into the fire, those fruitless trees which cumber the ground. My opponent denies the Divinity of the Son of God, and of course refuses to honour him as he pretends to honour the Father; yet to serve a turn, he blushes not to quote John 5: 23, which declares "that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father." Universalists deny that everlasting and forever denote an interminable duration; yet if God is said not to contend forever; if he is said to exercise an everlasting love, to bestow an everlasting joy, or an everlasting salvation,** they receive the words in their unlimited sense, without thinking any criticisin necessary to prove it. So inconsistent are they, that for the sake of general words and phrases which may easily be perverted when detached from their connection, they will quote passages which contain the despised but essential doctrine of justification by faith, and even the destruction of the wicked. In that class of texts now under review, these general expressions are the reliance of the Universalists. When Christ is represented as drawing and reconciling, shadowing and filling, justifying, blessing, and saving every creature, all men, all kindreds and nations, languages and tongues, they insist upon it, without one particle of proof, that all and every must be understood universally, and as embracing each individual of the human race, from the creation of Adam to the consummation of all things. When the absurdity of this interpretation is shewn by a concise appeal to general usage, and to the terms and connexion of the authorities containing these expressions, this 9th argument shall be considered as answered. Although a certain acquaintance cf the Apostle John was known to but few of the human race, and hated and slaudered by many of those who knew him, John says,* "Demetrious hath good report of all men." The Apostles knew comparatively few, and of them a goodly little number loved them. Yet our Saviour says to them+" Ye shall be hated of all men,' 99.66 ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." It is required‡ that "supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men." Yet it is said,§ "There is a sin unto death; I do not say that he shall pray for it." The Universalist explanation of Paul's aphorism, "all things are lawful," would legalize even the sin against the Holy Ghost. In the universal sense, it is neither right nor possible for any one, wise or simple to believe all things or every word. Yet Paul tells us that "charity believeth all things," and Solomon says** "The simple believeth every word." It is neither right nor possible for any one to please every child of Adam universally in any thing: yet Paul says "I please all men in all things." God told Pault that he should be Christ's "witness unto all men." Paul called the Corinthians his epistle "known and read of all men." When he said§§ that he preached Christ, "warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom," did he mean that he was infinitely wise, and that he imparted this wisdom to every individual of the human family? Did our Saviour make this the duty of any of the Apostles, when he sent them to "teach all nations," and to "preach the gospel to every creature ?"¶¶ What did he mean, when he said "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all this world, for a witness unto all nations?" or what did Paul mean, when he told the Collosians* that, in his day, the gospel" was preached to every creature which is under heaven," and "in all the world?" *3 John 12. tt 1 Cor. 10: 33. 1; 23. 6. +Matt. 10; 22. 24; 9.] § 1 John 5; 16. Prov. 14; 15. Acts 22; 15. 19 Matt. 28; 19. Mk. 16; 15. 1 It was told to Christ, "all men seek for thee."a The Scripturel says that many followed our Saviour "out of all cities;" that he "looked round about upon all things,"k "healing every sickness, and every disease among the people:"s that even in the Apostolic day, "he maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place;" that he wasglorified of all;" and that in the first century" all men glorified God.'n : Paul says that God, "in times past, suffered all nations "to walk in their own ways:" did he suffer all individuals so to walk? John says,† that a certain beast "causeth all, "both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to "receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads." Was this intended to be understood universally of all ages, or even of any particular age? God says, concerning Mystical Babylon by thy sorceries were all nations deceived;" that "all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her "fornication ;" "she made all nations drink of the wine of "the wrath of her fornication."d He says that power was given to the Beast" to make war with the saints and to over"come them and power was given him over all kindreds and "tongues and nations." "And the kings of the earth, and "the great men, and the rich men, and the chief cap"tains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every "free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of "the mountains."|| Concerning our Saviour's second coming, he says, "And then shall all the tribes of the earth "mourn." "Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye "shall see him, and they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him."¶Here also, as well as in the prophet Ezekiel, we have some mention of what my opponents would, in this case, call parabolical fowls. "And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and "he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in "the midst of heaven, come and gather yourselves together "unto the supper of the Great God; that ye may eat the flesh "of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty : Matt. 24; 30. Rev. 1. 7. R |