into a discourse concerning a pre-existent state; but, as his mission entirely related to a future existence, and not to any that might have been prior to the present state of things; he contents himself with informing them, that the infirmity of blindness was neither a punishment for this man's sins, nor for his parent's; but that it presented their master with another opportunity of confirming their faith in him, by a miraculous restoration of sight. After the resurrection, when the faith and confidence of the disciples, in their Divine master, were restored and confirmed, they expected that they should be made minutely acquainted with his future. plans. "When they were come together, they asked him, saying, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" The very statement of the question, manifested that they were not prepared for a proper answer; for they were as yet ignorant of the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom-And he said unto them, “It is not for you to know the times, or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power; but ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you."* In like manner, when Peter was informed of the calamities of his advanced years, he was inquisitive concerning the fate of

* Acts i. 6.
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other disciple, John. This was a question of mere curiosity, and it was evaded. " If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee, follow thou me."* Under the Jewish dispensation, most of the prophecies, both of mercy and of terror, were expressed in ambiguous language, and rendered capable of various interpretations; but they were well calculated to encourage, or to alarm and terrify; and these were their sole objects. Truths, which it is essential to human happiness to be known, and which the human faculties had not discovered, during the lapse of ages, are finally revealed to our admiring eyes. Events in the womb of futurity will, in their due time and order, be brought forth into the light. Truths, which are obscurely or ambiguously expressed, can only be known when incidental circumstances throw a due degree of light upon them; when the dispositions of men, and the mental powers, become properly qualified for the office of investigation; which was not to be expected in the earlier periods of their exercise.

It is a remarkable fact, that the future destiny of the Wicked is expressed, not only in ambiguous phraseology, but in terms which apparently contradict each other. It is said, that in the state

* John xxi. 28.

of future punishment "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; that they shall depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched ;" and we read in the Revelations, that "the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever." We are also told that "the wages of sin is death;" that "the wicked shall be destroyed from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power;" and it is indubitable that the terms indicative of destruction, constitute the predominant phraseology, respecting the incorrigibly wicked. But it is as explicitly stated, that the wicked shall rise from the dead, as well as the righteous; "for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every man may receive according to the deeds done in the body, whether they be good, or whether they be evil;" that some shall be beaten with few, and some with many stripes, according to the degrees of their guilt. We read, moreover, of a second death, that shall have power over some but not over others; and again we read, that "the last enemy that shall be destroyed, is death." Although the blessedness of the righteous is expressed in varied phrase, and their felicity is placed in different points of view, yet these are

not inconsistent with each other.

They all unite to inspire the pious Christian with the humble hope, that he shall possess glory, honour, and immortality.

That the obsurity, respecting the state of the wicked, was designed, there can be no reasonable doubt. It was as easy to be explicit in the one case as in the other. It is most probable that no definite statement could have been made, at an early period, in the infancy of human reason, and in the centre of barbarian principles, when imagination and wild conjecture always take the lead, without its having been productive of the most pernicious consequences. Had the severity of punishment been fully revealed, and displayed in all its horrors, the human mind might have been overwhelmed with anguish. Even the most righteous and pious of men, might have been so deeply impressed with a consciousness of their own infirmities, as to suffer inextinguishable dread, lest they also should come into this place of torment; while the incorrigible wickedness of those most dear to them, would fill their souls with insufferable agonies. On the other hand, should any rays of mercy have shone distinctly through this dreadful gloom, upon unprepared minds, the salutuary force of

terror, which is the most powerful in its influence of all the passions, upon sordid and uncultivated minds, might have been destroyed. A single ray of hope might have operated, as the expectations of a reprieve are frequently known to operate upon condemned criminals, and have entirely checked any incipient attempts at repentance.

The passages, however, notwithstanding the obscurities that surround them, exist; they must exist for an useful purpose. They must each of them have some specific meaning, and as God cannot contradict himself, they can be contradictory in appearance only. The time must come in which they will be rationally explained, or they would occupy an useless. place in the revelation of God. But as no other revelations are to be expected, the explanation can only be obtained by the due exercise of our rational faculties, upon competent documents placed before us.

The obscurities in which this subject is involved, relate to the object or design, and the duration of future punishments. Its precise nature cannot be known, and its place can be of no moment. As the local situation of future blissis not circumstantially revealed, we cannot expect information upon this point. The object,