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in the shadow of death; in order that as he did publish peace to men on earth, gave deliverance to the captives, and sight to the blind, and became the cause of eternal salvation to believers, while he convicted the disobedient of unbelief, so in like manner he might deal with the inhabitants of Hades, so that to him every knee should bow, of those in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and that having thus loosed the chains of those long-coufined prisoners, he might return from the dead and prepare to us the way of the resurrection.'" (Id.)

We see here what was the doctrine of the primitive church, founded on the literal interpretation of the passages in question; a doctrine equally opposed to that of no repentance nor salvation after death, and that of no sin nor punishment after death; both utterly inconsistent with any rational and philosophical view of the future life of man, since they equally attribute to the article of physical death such a revolution in the moral constitution of man as no sound philosophy can ever explain. Indeed, only a miracle can so change man's spiritual and moral nature after his death, that he can neither repent, on one hand, nor, on the contrary, commit sin and receive punishment therefor. St. Peter never taught doctrines so incapable of all rational apprehension. Allowing him to

mean what he says, and so plainly that no man can mistake it, we learn from him that man enters the future life with the same moral nature that he has in this life; and that there the same rational means are to be employed for his salvation as are employed in his present state of being. Christ and the

gospel are to be preached to those who never heard of them, the same as to the heathen and non-Christian nations of the present day.

Universalist critics must abandon the doctrine of the universality of Christ's judgment, and show, in the face of the statements of Peter and Paul already quoted, and other passages, that it is confined to men in the flesh; or they must admit that the dead, as well as living, are judged; especially those who were not judged according to the gospel while living. Again, such critics must abandon the doctrine that Christ and his gospel are necessary to salvation in all cases, NEW SERIES. VOL. XXI.

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or admit that Christ and his gospel arc preached to those after death who died in perfect ignorance of them. St. Peter's language, literally understood, avoids these contradictions and teaches a doctrine in perfect harmony with the Universalist philosophy of the future life, as now held probably by the majority of our people and clergy.

The Universalism of the text, 1 Peter iv. 5, 6, is seen in the fact that the "dead" of verse 6 includes all, the same as in verse 5; and that all the dead live according to God in the spirit, that is, conformably to the will of God. The moral sense of this clause, as before stated, is generally admitted by orthodox critics. The certainty that God's design in preaching the gospel to the dead, will be fully realized, is expressed by ra," in order that," denoting a specific purpose on the part of the Deity. This Greek particle is very different from that of wore," that," a mere connective, denoting simply the result of an act, whether designed or not.

We shall hope that the reader will do us the justice to believe that the foregoing expositions of important texts are put forth in no dogmatic, and much less dictatorial, spirit; but solely in the interest of God's revealed truth, and of a sound, scientific exegesis of the Scriptures. It will not be forgotten, we trust, that our exegesis consists wholly in defending the literal sense of the passages, eschewing all private speculation and attempts at allegorizing. 0. D. Miller, S. T. D.

ARTICLE V.

George MacDonald and His Writings.

GEORGE MACDONALD was born at Huntley, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1825. His father was the proprietor of the Huntley Mills, and his ancestors were of the famous MacDonald clan that suffered so cruelly in the Glencoe Massacre of 1692. In the early part of his educational training, MacDonald was

for a time what is termed a parish student; after which he entered the University of Aberdeen, and there he took his degree. Having decided to enter the ministry he studied for that profession at Independent and Kings Colleges, and at Owens College in Manchester. On the completion of his preparatory theological studies, he preached two years for the Independent body in the counties of Surrey and Sussex ; but finally left the pulpit, and, becoming a layman of the Church of England, devoted himself entirely to literature.

His productions show diligent application, profound thought, large experience, and a religious purpose. It is impossible for the rea ler not to feel the personal force and magnetic individuality of the man, and he must acknowledge that not only are these not subordinate to any other influences, but that their supremacy is manifested and upheld throughout all his writings.

Although an author of fiction, he inspires his readers with the idea that he is thoroughly in earnest, and his success is in some degree due to this fact. It is worthy of note that the kind of fiction known as religious, when undertaken by the majority of authors is almost sure to fail, but by him it is invested with a peculiar charm. He so intermingles the moral and religious with other elements of his work, that the reader unconsciously yields to their elevating influence, and sees none of that incongruity which in general characterizes this class of literature. He who would write fiction has a difficult task to perform. While presenting to his readers matter productive both of enjoyment and reflection, he should closely follow the course marked out for him by the requirements of the literature he has undertaken. While rememberingit is when in fairy fancy drest that romance gives utterance to truths severe," yet the aim and purpose of his work must be in chord with the spirit and adapted to the advancement of the age which he addresses.

One of the first peculiarities noticed in George MacDonald's works is their naturalness and originality, but it is possible to detect numerous agencies by which his mind has been influ

enced. They disclose an intimate acquaintance with philosophy, classic literature and the best results of ancient and modern thought; and to these we may add a great familiarity with the traditions and mythology of different countries.

His stories are characterized by quaint humor, pathos, wisdom and purity of thought. Though children may be interested and benefited by them, though a simplicity almost childlike seems at times to pervade them, nevertheless, in their widest range they can be grasped only by those who from experience and observation of the world have enlarged and strengthened their intellectual powers, and developed an ability to comprehend truths that are concealed in the forms of symbols.

His poems are full of beautiful imagery and lofty sentiments, and in them without doubt his most exalted ideas have been embodied. It might be said of them that they largely form his confession of faith, so brightly do they reflect that spirituality and religious fervor by which all his works are more or less pervaded. But notwithstanding their great beauty and merit, the works which are the most strongly written are his prose productions; and it is from his descriptive narratives of real life that we receive the most direct and powerful impressions of his genius.

A characteristic peculiar to his writings is that certain qualities belonging to them are not realized at once, but dawn upon the mind at a later period. Indeed, his books have been written for the future, and in coming years will be even more extensively read and appreciated than now.

To the sympathetic and intelligent reader MacDonald seems to exhibit his own spiritual and mental conditions as elements of his work, and from these he skilfully builds. It has been said that his genius seems rather to reflect what comes to it, than to reach out and gather in." But his genius not only reflects what is received from foreign sources; it appropriates and assimilates, and thereby new creations are developed and vitalized.

It is evident from the delineation of his characters that he

is one who searches the inner nature of his fellow-men, and studies and analyzes it with true and philosophic discrimination. His great experience of the world, and his high regard for humanity, are shown by the faithfulness with which he pictures the noblest developments of moral and intellectual life. He believes so firmly in enduring patience, exhaustless charity and moral beauty, that in almost all his books are found characters exemplifying these great principles by which he is so powerfully impressed. His Scotch heroes are grand personifications of his own ideals. In them he embodies his beliefs and opinions, and his ideas of right and wrong. dowing them with attributes almost divine, he yet makes them human and natural. He voices through their agency his own sublime ideas and lofty sentiments, and by them influences the minds and lives of his readers.

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In order that human needs may be ascertained and human misery relieved, he evidently believes and teaches that constant personal sympathy and effort, coupled with a spirit always patient and hopeful, are more effective than the devices of machine philanthropists. The characters, therefore, which embody his ideals are broad, vigorous, earnest and wholly unconventional; free from bigotry, cant and all manner of Phariseeism. They are strong and majestic in the simplicity of their faith, and magnetic in the directness and unselfishness of their methods.

He has no taste for ludicrous representation, and manifests but little ability to seize upon those traits to which the caricaturist would be naturally attracted. He feels that there exists a near relationship between him and his fellows, and strives to lessen their faults and deformities, and to disclose and brighten their possibilities.

His

No more remarkable pictures of Scotch life and customs have been given to the world than those by this author. Even Scott cannot be regarded as more accurate and vivid. representations are undeniably Scottish, and yet are marked by an individuality so distinct from those of Scott that they might almost be taken as descriptive of another country.

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