a repetition of the obedience and death of Christ; but the apostle says, "after he had made one sacrifice for sins, he for ever sat down at the right hand of God;" or, 3dly, by their own doings.".

In answer to the first assertion, Christ is declared to have made peace by the blood of his cross, and for the express purpose of reconciling all things, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven, unto himself. The apostle in this citation, adds it as an emphasis, by him, Y say. Col. i. 20. 2ndly, After having made one sacrifice for sins, he for ever sat down at the right hand of God. When Mr. R. penned these words, did he forget what is immediately and inseparably connected with them? viz. «from henceforth expecting that his enemies be made his footstool." Here again, we see the means and the end, together with the nature and extent of Christ's intercession fully set forth. He who when dying prayed for his enemies, "Father, forgive them," still continues, so to do in behalf of all his enemies, without any regard to' place. The universality of the saviour's death being proved, his intercession must follow in the same equal sense. See again, 1 Tiın. ii. 3dly, We see by this, then, the deliverance of the damned wi!!! not be obtained by their own doings.

I might enlarge here, but, not wishing to be prolix, forbear.

"No matter (Mr. R. says) how warm our profession of magnifying his (God's) name may be, we know that his perfections and his word are in the most consummate mony, and therefore, if what we teach be not supported by Thus saith the Lord, it must eventually terminate in our confusion. Such support the doctrine which Mr. R. contends against has. “As I live, saith the Lord, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear, surely shall say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed." Isaiah, xlv. 23, 24. If it be objected, that this has reference to the day of judgment, from what is said, Rom xiv. I observe, that it is only made use of there in a way of accommodation, (such as frequently occurs in the New Testament) the harmony of other parts of the word on the same subject bearing witness, and from the detached manner in which Paul has it, it appears not to be the primary signification of the passage.

Mr. R. takes notice of two passages which he says are considered as decisive on the subject. The one is Acts, iii. 21. "whom the heavens must receive till the restitution of all things;" by which, according to Mr. R., nothing more is meant than the gathering together of the mystical body of Christ, (when, as he says a little before, time shall be no longer) which is the restitution intended in the passage.

Mr. R. has here laid himself under an obligation to shew how a few things, according to any construction of language, can be said to be all things. Now, I take it for granted (to adopt the words of an able writer on this matter) that all things are really all things: and when all things are restored, then nothing will be left in sin and misery; because VOL. IV.

Cc

sin and misery were not the original of any of God's creatures.* *" Mr. R. himself, in the former part of his pamphlet, justly observes, “the term restitution implies a loss or absence of something once possessed and a being restored to it again." It became him then to explain the term presented before us according to its allowed etymological meaning. But I appeal to this gentleman, has the mystical body of Christ in any prior period being so gathered to him, as he says it shall? I query whether our author did not see something in the text that militated against any opinion but that necessarily contained in it, or why did he not quote fairly? My Testament has it, "The Times of the restitution of all things.".

Mr. R. proceeds; another text is Eph. i. 10.; but as what he offers on it amounts nearly to the same in signification; and being considered as spoken of the same characters, I think it not needful to reply farther, except to the concluding part of Mr. R.'s letter. " And had he (Christ) in convenant and on the cross represented the whole race of men, all that have gone off the stage of life must, by the power of the holy spirit, have known his salvation; and being absent from the body they must have been present with the Lord." These are misconceptions, from want of properly undestanding the nature and design of the sacrifice of Christ, and the moral agency of man. Mr. R. says, " If Christ can be proved to be the head of every man, the foundation of universal restoration will be well laid." The matter is put ou of all dispute by the apostle, who says "the head of every man is Christ." 1 Cor. xi. 3.

Thus I have made some remarks, I hope without " descanting on detached passages, or exhausting a critical skill on ambiguous terms," with the greatest good will to the worthy gentleman against whose opinions I am an opponent, on his publication, "Thoughts on Universal Restitution:" and as an apology for their brevity, I give you to understand that Mr. R.'s pamphlet is contained in only eight octavo pages, including that of the tittle, with not a very small margin. Submitting the whole to your candid consideration, I subscribe myself, Yours in the gospel,

ANECDOTE
OF

SIR ISAAC NEWTON.

L

SIR,

OOKING over that famous piece entitled, "The Theology and Philosophy of Cicero's Somnium Scipionis Explained,, &c." I found the following anecdote of the great Sir Isaac Newton, (p. 27. note) which if you think a proper subject for your Miscellany, it is at your service.

f

J. C.

SIR Isaac Newton seems upon all occasions to have allowed indirectly that the doctrine of an a absolute vacuum, however necessary to the establishment of his scheme, was yet indefensible. For the farther confirmation of which, I shall here lay before the public a curious and well attested anecdote, lately communicated to me by a friend, which it is hoped, will have its due weight with every unprejudiced reader. Sir Isaac Newton, Lord Pembroke, and Mr. Locke, were to pay a visit to Mr. Patrick, weather-glass maker, in the Od, Bailey Sir Isaac happening to mention a vacuum, Mr. Patrick said, "God bless me, Sir Issac, have not I told you there is no such thing?" Lam sure there is," quoth the philosopher. "I tell you there is not," said Ms. Patrick And I will prove it by an undoubted experiment." Lord Pembroke said, "Pray Mr. Patrick, let us have the experiment.'

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1721

Upon which Mr. Patrick produced a well-blown glass tube, sealed at one end, which he filled with mercury, and clapping his finger upon the other end, immerged it into a bason of mercury, ready for the purpose: upon which the mercury in the tube fell, till it became a counterballance to the weight of the atmosphere. He then asked Sir Isaac, whether there was not a better vacuum at the top of the the tube, than an any he could make with the air-pump, which he readily allowed. Mr. Patrick added, "You suppose there is nothing there; then any thing I can do, cannot affect nothing. Upon which he put an iron, properly prepared, into the fire, which he heated red-hot; then applying it gently to the upper part of the tube, where was the supposed vacuum, in a few minutes the mercury was pressed down ha f an inch. Upon which Lord Pembroke said to Sir Isaac, "What do you say to Mr. Patrick's experiment? This is very plain and simple."

Sir Isaac, taking his lordship on one side, said, "We must not give up this point, my lord; if we do, all will fall to the ground." Upon which my lord replied, "Let it fall to the ground, if it's not worth keeping up."

*For a character of this great artist, see Harris's Lexicon Technicum, under the article Barometer.

DIFFERENT,

APPLICATION OF TALENTS.

AN elderly man, with whom I have been acquainted some time, and

whom I believe to be a sober honest man, whose attention had always been applied to music, being one day at my house, and hearing a little neice eight years of age, repeat the Epistle to Titus by heart, very eagerly asked, " Can one buy that book in town?". !!!

B LYNN.

W. H.

WHEN I lived at Whapload-Drove, I went to a shop in the village

W

just after a heavy shower; an old man who was labourer to an eminent farmer in that neighbourhood, had almost got served with goods as I went in; the shopkeeper observed to me, it had been a soaker. I asked him if he could discern between soak and sock ?". “ Nay, (said the old man) if ye begin to talk about Scripture, I'll away;" and immediately went out.

I have reason to believe this old man's master to be a man of the best morals; but oh! what defect of religious attention was discoverable, seeing the old man had boarded and lodged in his house many years! www i brod

W.H.

SHOULD be glad if you or any other friend would give some thoughts how we are to understand those passages of Scripture which speak of God as repenting, &c. seeing he is unchangeable. In attending to the same, you will oblige,