"there is no

be understood by the declaration, condemnation to them that are in Christ; that the curse of the law is taken away." The Life promised in the gospel, is uniformly opposed to the death threatened by the law. Resurrection from the Grave implies a triumph over the Grave. The Grave has lost its victory by being obliged to deliver up its captives, instead of retaining them in a state of oblivion, unconsciousness, and inactivity. Death has lost its sting," by its not being a perpetual punishment for Mortals rendered capable, by their intellectual and moral nature, of enjoying eternal felicity; by its being introductory to immortality, instead of its being a total abolition of the human system. >>

This doctrine of a Resurrection from the dead is therefore of infinite moment. It constitutes the basis of our hopes. The resurrection of the whole human race is immediately dependent upon it; for it is uniformly represented in the Scriptures, as being synonymous with future existence. It is also uniformly considered as a consequence resulting from the triumphant Resurrection of our divine Master; who in his own person "abolished Death, and thus brought life and immortality to light." This is the grand principle which the apostolic mis

sionaries were sent forth to promulgate; by which they made converts, and upon which they established christian communities. For by this is the sentence of condemnation revoked; that curse of the law, the soul that sinneth shall die.

The Apostle Peter opened his commission on the day of Penticost, before an assembly of Jews from different countries of the east, by preaching the doctrine of the Resurrection. "Ye men of Israel hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves. know, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God; have ye taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be held of it." When Paul preached at Athens, "certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. Some said, what will this babbler say; other some, he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods; because he preacheth unto them Jesus and the Resurrection." But this doctrine was not preached as a speculative doctrine. Upon it was founded the doctrine of Repentance and Acceptance with God. "When

they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the Apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." In his dispute with the Sadducees, and also in his vindication of himself before Felix, he infers the resurrection of the human race from the certainty of the fact, that Christ is risen.

Numerous are the passages, in his Epistle to the Romans, in which this great Apostle of the Gentiles inculcates these important doctrines; but in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, he enters fully into the argument, and places the hopes of his christain converts entirely upon the verity of the fact, that Christ is risen from the dead. "Now, if Christ be preached, that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen ; and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain; yea, and we are found false witnesses of God. But wę have testified of God, that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not

Christ raised; and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. Then others who are fallen asleep in Christ, are perished."

In the process of his argument he adds, "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor doth corruption inherit incorruption. 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. For this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal immortality. Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in Victory." He terminates the animated argument by the triumphant exclamation, "Oh Death where is thy sting! Oh Grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but thanks be to God who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Numberless passages might be added to the above, indicative of one uniform tenour of language in support of the same principles. By these, we repeat it, they are distinguished from occasional or metaphorical expressions, which nay always be interpreted according to the

fancy of a speculator. They prove incontestibly, that the language of our Saviour and of his Apostles, respecting the salvation of mankind, from the just punishment of sin, consists in their being liberated from death, corresponding with the threats denounced under the former dispensation. Life is opposed to Death. Resurrection from the grave is opposed to a state of inconsciousness, or inactivity. This kind of language is perfectly intelligible, when applied to the doctrine of a vital principle, whose functions are suspended in the grave, without its existence being destroyed. It is most incongruous when applied to the Resurrection of the material body solely, and to its reunion to a spirit already possessing immortality, in a state of happiness or misery. Nor is there a single passage in the New Testament which can be adduced, as having a decided reference to the resurrection of mere particles of matter, and their reunion with the immortal spirit, its pristine inhabitant.

We might observe, that this doctrine is not only unscriptural, but it is unsupported by reason and sound philosophy ;-that it is of no importance; and that it throws a dark mist over that light which came into the world to enlighten every man, even the light of life.

There is an extravagance in the opinion, that