suit, if you are thoughtless that God governs the world, and, if instead of rendering him the homage of a grateful heart, you blaspheme his name, or are selfish and regardless of the happiness of your fellow-creatures, you must, according to the established laws of his empire, remain in that same restless and dissatisfied condition till you know by experience that the heavens do rule, — till you bow to the sublime requirements of his word. That dissatisfaction, varied according to the condition of moral character, is the punishment God sends upon us for our indifference. From this indifference we may rise to that unquenchable thirst for riches, already noticed, and our sufferings will receive new accessions according to our moral light. And from this we may rise to a desire for honor and power, till we are hurried on by ambition to conquest and slaughter, where we are doomed to suffer all the miseries a Bonaparte endured. From this we may rise to dishonor, fraud, and theft; and as we rise in crime, our miseries increase in degree, till we imbrue our hands in innocent blood, and thus render our bosoms a hell, and our very existence a burden.

Every man is in a condition of uneasiness, suffering, guilt, hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, exactly in proportion to his moral conduct. Let us then be wise; and if we desire

happiness, let us seek it in that course where the unerring word of God assures us it can alone be found. Let us acknowledge, "that the heavens do rule," and rest assured that He, who notices the fall of a sparrow, will not wink at our evil doings.

ARTICLE XXIII.

DR. GRIFFIN'S LETTER TO THE AUTHOR.

TO THE REV. J. B. DODS.

DEAR SIR-I perceive that much has been expressed in the "Trumpet," of late, on the words of our Lord, about destroying "soul and body in hell." A sermon from the Rev. Mr. Manley seems to have been the exciting cause of the remarks which have been made. It appears, moreover, that the same passage has elicited a variety of opinions in past years from different writers.

At the time when your article to the Rev. Mr. Manley made its appearance, we flattered ourselves that you would soon publish your individual views on this difficult text, and more particularly so, as we remembered the avowal on your part, that you had long ago formed your opinion on that passage, and, from the different expositions hitherto given, that you had seen no reason to justify any renunciation or change of that opinion. Are you not, then, under a kind of obligation to afford us all the light you possess on the subject? That light, surely, ought not to be "hid under a bushel!" It would ill comport

with your general character, to be thus antiscriptural!

You have in the South many warm friends. For several years have they indulged the pleasing anticipation, that you would locate somewhere in Virginia. I hope yet to see the advent of that day, as we much need your services in this extensive field of labors, where none yet seem to venture a fixed settlement, where all things are ripe for the harvest, but the reapers are few! Till then, let us at least hear from you through the medium of the GLORIOUS "TRUMPET” once in a while; and on the present passage, as soon as your convenience permits. We should also like to hear from you on the Lord's Supper, whether it was the Jewish Passover which he kept, or whether he established a new institution.

Were I not penning these lines to an old acquaintance and friend, I should offer many apologies for the liberty which I have now taken, and should derive my principal extenuation from the high estimate which I entertain of your talents.

I am, dear sir, yours very truly,

S. S. GRIFFIN.

WILLIAMSBURG, VA., Sept. 20th, 1839.

ARTICLE XXIV.

DESTRUCTION OF SOUL AND BODY IN HELL.

"And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." MATT. x. 28.

TO S. S. GRIFFIN, M. D.

DEAR SIRI must acknowledge, that it is with reluctance I come before the public to offer my views on a passage of Scripture, the subject matter of which has been, for some time past, agitated in the "Trumpet," in the "Expositor," the "Evangelical Magazine," and in books, and which, by the various writers, who are brethren of the first order of talents, has been acknowledged a

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very difficult passage." My reluctance arises from those peculiar circumstances. I do not wish to be considered an innovator on the longestablished opinions of my brethren, who are far my superiors in theological science,-nor do I covet the fame of being the author of any thing new. And more than all, I desire no controversy with my warm-hearted brethren, as I have no time for such a purpose, unless I trespass on the repose of my pillow.

The above are the only reasons why I have not given my views on this passage during the