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a certain sect of spiritual, and, as they deem themselves, sound expositors. But admitting that by the bitterness of the heart we are to understand that inward sorrow which is inseperable from a conviction for sins, can the subject of it feel a joy resulting therefrom,—I mean at that time? It seems impossible, from their being opposite passions, that this should be the case-not to say that the feeling of one seems to imply the want of the other. If a man be in a state of suspense as to the issue of any doubtful event, though these sensations exist in him, yet each one, I suppose, in respect of its exercise, will have the ascendancy in succession, though it be for a very short interval: but certainly there cannot be joy in bitterness. All, then, I conceive, that the wise man means in the assertion is, That the heart only knows its own bitterness,, when thus affected; so, by the same parity of reasoning on the contrary experience, a stranger intermeddleth not with its joy. The apostle Paul will furnish us with the best comment on the subject, when he says,→ "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him." 1 Cor. ii. 11.

CHATHAM.

T. C. A.

FURTHER THOUGHTS

ON THE RESURRECTION.

SIR,

PERMIT me to add one observation: to Omicron's
Difficulty on the Resurrection *.”

"Answer to

That there will be a first and also a general resurrection, appears to ine a discovery peculiar to the gospel dispensation, made in the New Testament. The resurrection being spoken of in a general way, in the Old Testament, should not, therefore, be considered as evidence to the rejection of what is so clearly revealed in the New.

From the text in Job, xiv. 10-12. might be brought an objection against another important discovery made in the New Testament, viz. the changing of those at the last trump. Let us suppose the following conversation between A. and B. on reading 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52. “ Behold I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

A. It appears, from this passage, that those who are alive at that period, will not die, but be changed into the same state as those who are raised from the dead.

B. We must not understand one passage of the word of God in such a sense as to contradict another. I recollect a text in Job, xiv. 10.

* See p. 300 and 352.

which proves your views to be inadmissible. "But man dieth, and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?"

A. All men became mortal by sin; and death is often spoken of as the common lot of man. But must we infer from thence that every individual of the human race will certainly die?

B. Most certainly we must. For the word man is an aggregate term, including all mankind, as in the first verse" Man that is born of a woman," and intends the whole human race; and therefore 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52. must not be taken in a literal, but in a figurative sense.

Nothing appears to me to be wanting, but the prejudice of education aud custom, and this objection would be equally valid as that against the first resurrection.

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IT is, I believe, generally acknowledged, that the brute creation are

compounded as well of spirit as of matter-and is not al! spirit immortal? If so, does not this favour the idea of their restoration, according to the hypothesis of Mr. Henry and others?

If you, Sir, or any of your correspondents, will offer a few thoughts in reply to this question, it will oblige,

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SIR,

WHEN I sent you the query on Mr. Scarlett's Testament, it was not

with a design to enter into the controversy between the baptist and the pedobaptist; nor do I now intend it. The writer of the answer*

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to that query attempts to distinguish between dipping and immersing. This appears to me a mere quibble. I ask, From what dictionary will he prove the distinction? Immerse is a verb active; it means to plunge, to dip over head. But to plunge with water is improper. The preposition with denotes the noun water to be in the active case, and, consequently, the person immersed in the neuter case. He argues that, to immerse is to cover. His version, then, of Mat. iii. 11. would be "I, indeed, cover you with water." The text is plainly expressive of an action performed by the administrator, and the water in the active case; to perform this, the person must be first laid in the baptistry, and then water applied until he were covered. This would be properly covering with water.

I conclude with observing, that the baptists have strenuously contended, both from the pulpit and the press, that the Greek word baptizo means to dip. “The Greek, as well as the English language, has three words by which to express different actions; dipping, (baptizontes,) pouring, (prochusin,) sprinkling, (rantizosa*),”

"To these authorities we may add the testimony of Parkhurst, who says, baptizo, from bapto, to dip.t."

Now, if baptizo means to dip, and immerse does not mean to dip, but to cover, then it follows, that immerse is not the true idea of baptizo.

Yours, &c.

T. PAYNE.

MISCELLANEOUS

THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS.

CONTINUED.

THE

XLIX.

HERE are considerations of truth and error-advantages and disadvantages of religious conduct-peculiar to every state of mind, and all the circumstances in which we stand.

Hence it seems to be, that calm and temperate men in every age, are feeling and proclaiming strong impressions of mind respecting the main end of a religious life; and their doctrines of this kind have resolved the sum of the matter into quietude.

So far as religious association is conducive to the attainment of that quietude, it is valuable in a high degree. But when a consciencious

Scarlett's Testament, observation on immersion.

Marsom's Examination of Mr. Elliot's Opinion respecting the Mode of Baptism, p. 13.

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declaration of any particular belief, which the Holy Scriptures leave a man at liberty to receive or not, and enjoin us not to fall out about, is found incompatible with the harmony of that association, and to excite sentiments of unbrotherly affection, then quietude is destroyed, and the main end of association seems to be lost.

L.

Notwithstanding the difference of opinion which has ever been making its appearance in the sentiments of men, seriously concerned for a right understanding, they may nevertheless be children of light in a dark world, and on that ground worthy of each other's love.

What a pity it is that such men should often find it more difficult to love and esteem each other as brethren, than the worst part of mankind do to consider them with due respect!

LI.

The more seriously I consider what the Christian religion is, in itself that it primarily and ultimately proposes, not an outward, but an inward work; an inward conviction of sin; an inward belief in the necessity of a saviour from the power of sin; and a love of the Supreme Being, as the merciful source of all good in the heart-and thence a love towards men as the children of God, and our brethren-the more am 1 constrained to fear the prevalence of a party love-the more I see the infirmity of bringing into religious consideration, outward systems, and making account of outward differences of church economy.

For as substances differ in form, varying as men's faces vary; and no criterion of truth, in formal matters, is divinely set up, either as a reality in itself, or as most pleasing to God, so the sincere in heart, under every form, are equally acceptable to God, and are universally the living substantial members of his universal church.

I am convinced that men always err in judging any one form necessary to salvation; and erring in that grand point, they err proportionably in shaping their love and fellowship according to this or that form.

Have we not all one Father? Are we not all sinners? And must we not all be made righteous through the one washing of our bodily affections, by the one pure water of regeneration, and the one influence of the blood of sprinkling from an evil conscience ?

TO BE CONTINUED.

POETRY.

THE WICKED TAKEN IN THEIR OWN DEVICES.

THE Lord controuls the schemes of men,
Who hate his name and practise sin:

They in the dust his saints would lay,
Would sweep his chosen ones away;
He their own hand against them moves,
And thus he helps whom he approves.
So haughty Pharoah's stern decree,
That Isr'el's males should slaughter'd be,
Through pow'r divine, the mean was made
Of raising up the Hebrew's head,
In all the wisdom Egypt knew,
Who afterwards their host o'erthrew.
He little thought his bloody plan
Would near his throne raise up a man
Who from his yoke should Isr'el free,
And lead them forth to liberty:
The chosen tribes of Isr'el head
And strike the flow'r of Egypt dead.
The tyrant's plans with mischief fraught,
On his own head destruction brought.
How wond'rous are Jehovah's ways!
The wrath of man his name shall praise.
Let cruel men with terror hear,
And learn his mighty name to fear.
The snares they for the righteous spread,
Shall bring destruction on their head:
They in the pit they dig shall sink,
The dreadful cup they've'fill'd shall drink;

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