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eftate, then thou and thy daughters fhall return to your former eftate." Ver. 55. And then, after threatening to deal with Jerufalem according to her fins, he adds, "Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. Then thou fhalt remember thy ways and be afhamed, when thou fhalt receive thy fifters, thine elder (Samaria, ver. 46.) and thy younger (Sodom, ver. 46.); and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. And I will establish my Covenant with thee, and thou fhalt know that I am the Lord; that thou mayeft remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy fhame, when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou haft done, faith the Lord God." I remark here,

I. That Sodom and her daughters must be taken literally for the city of Sodom and the neighbouring cities of the plain; because of their fituation on the right-hand of Jerufalem, ver. 46., and because of their fins, pride, fulness of bread, idleness, oppreffion of the poor, and abomination, i. e. the unnatural fin, ver. 49, 52. with Gen. xiii. 10. xix. 4---11,; and because of their punishment, v. 50. Gen. xix. 24, 25.

2. That this prophecy of Ezekiel muft refer to the very perfons who were deftroyed by fire from heaven, because they left no defcendants in whom it can be fulfilled, being wholly consumed, both men, women, and children. Lot and his daughters, the only perfons who were spared, were strangers in Sodom.

3. That God, in this prophecy, fpeaks as plainly as in prophecies in general; and reprefents the restoration of Sodom as connected with the fulfilment of his most gracious promises, according to the new covenant, towards Jerufalem. If any man deny the former, he must also deny the latter.

On the whole, I conceive this is a proof that God's paft dealings with Sodom fhall ultimately tend to the good of that people. And therefore we may reasonably conclude that his dealings with all men fhall have the fame end.

I would notice several Scriptures in p. 262-264., on which you have formed fome difficulties; but as I have given my view of them in that part of "God's Love to his Creatures. Afferted and Vindicated," which was published last month, I will not here repeat it, but refer you to what I have there written, as I judge it contains an answer to you.

I ftill think that the doctrine of endless punishment does not give so clear an idea of degrees, as the doctrine of limited punishment

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nifhment, does; which was what I faid of it in p. 42. of the firft volume of this work. And I afk, when our Lord repre jents fome as having few ftripes, and others as having many, fs not the plain idea which he holds out that of duration?--. Every one knows there needs not fo much time to inflict an hundred ftripes as to inflict ten times that number. The "gross abfurdity" which you think is contained in this, I really have not difcernment enough to perceive.

As for "all things working together for good to them that love not God, as well as to them who do fo," which you fay my scheme teaches, p. 264.; if there be any truth in this, it ap plies as much to your scheme also. You will grant that there are many elect perfons, who, not being yet called, do not yet love God; notwithstanding which God loves them, and is feeking their welfare, which his love will ultimately effect. In the fame manner I apply to all finners what you and your brethren do to elect finners only; yet I believe, as much as you do, that those who die in their fins cannot go where Chrift is, but that they must endure the awful pains of the fecond death; but I think I have proved that this will not be endless.

I have fuppofed that endless mifery is contrary to all the benevolent feelings of every renewed heart, and that it must be much more fo to the benevolence of God; hence I infer that God, whose wisdom and power are equal to his love, will not inflict unceafing mifery upon any. You attempt to prove that temporary punishment clafhes as much with the benevolence both of God and his people. For you afk, " Is there a man living whose heart is filled with the love of God, that would be willing that his worst enemy fhould be caft into hell for ages of ages or even for a fingle age, or even for a single day, when it was in his power to deliver him from it?" But furely, Sir, there is no comparison justly to be made betwixt limited and endless punishment; nor because the latter is abhorrent to every idea of benevolence both in God and good men, does it follow that the former is: feeing that the one is directed to a good and glorious end, namely, the amendment of the fufferer; while the other is a continuance of mifery to no poffible good end, either to God or the sufferer *.

On the whole, I obferve, that you have touched but very lightly on the real merits of the cause. The greater part of

The difficulties which, by the help of annihilation, you attempted to retort upon me in the close of your second letter, remain with all their weight upon your scheme.

VOL. III.

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your letters have been taken up with foreign matter, palpable mistakes, or unmanly fneers. I invite you, Sir, laying thefe things afide, to meet the question fairly. Prove that the fcrip tural ufe of the words everlasting and eternal, is that of endless duration; or that, though thefe words are ufed in a limited fenfe, yet there is fomething in the nature of future misery which will render it of endlefs duration, and reconcile this moft tremendous doctrine with the Scripture character of God. When you, or any other man, fhall have done this, I will own my error; till then I must retain my present views, as fincerely believing them to be agreeable to the mind of God in his word.

As you have had the free ufe of the Univerfalift's Mifcellany for the infertion of your former letters, fo you are welcome to it again. But I take the liberty to recommend to you the ule of SOFT WORDS, and HARD ARGUMENTS.

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SIR

WITH REFLECTIONS.

OON after I had publicly profeffed my belief of the restora tion of all things, I was in company one day with a Mr. Dls in the course of conversation some circumstances were mentioned refpecting a Mr. H who had acted very contrary to the profeffion he made of the gospel; Mr. Dhaving been informed that he formerly attended your ministry at Battle, took it for granted that he was an univerfalift; and immediately exclaimed to me with an air of triumph, "There, you fee what your reftoration doctrine tends to !!!" I replied, "He is an oppofer of the restoration, and forfook Mr. Vidler's miniftry at the feparation." Mr. D-l's note was immediately changed, and with a grave countenance he faid, "Ah! there always were hypocrites in the church Chrift."

The above anecdote furnishes matter for reflection.

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4. If any who believe the restoration fall into fin, their behieving that doctrine would be affigned as the caufe; but if they are of the contrary fentiment, their creed ftands clear of impeachment. Is this judging righteous judgment?

2. Such is the unaccountable influence of party prejudice, that there is reason to fear, that even fome good men watch for, and would rejoice at, our halting, that they might have opportunity to fpeak reproachfully of this holy doctrine. Such would do well to obferve the ftriking contraft that there is between their temper and conduct, and the divine pattern. (1 Cor. ii. 4-6.) Charity fuffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave ittelf unfeemly, feeketh not her own, is not eafily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth."

3. To the Univerfalifts, I would fay, Brethren, walk circum pectly. Let us labour to adorn that doctrine which our oppofers revile, and fay it tends to licentioufnefs. We believe that God loves all his creatures with a fovereign, unchangeable love; and that he hates all fin with a fovereign, unchangeable hatred; may it be the bufinefs of our lives to copy the divine original.

Thus fhall we beft proclaim abroad
The honour of our faviour God.

I am Six,

Yours, &c.
T. PAYNE.

REASON OF THE VANITY OF THE WORLD.

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T. Auftin, in his Manual, ch, xxv. gives the following judicious reafon why the pleasures of the world are not fatisfying to the foul--" When the heart of man is not fixed upon this object, (Heaven) it is not fixed any where, but roves about perpetually from one thing to another, feeking reft where it is never to be found. Now the reason why it can never meet with fatisfaction in any of thefe frail and tranfitory matters which captivate its affections, is because the foul is above them all, and of a condition fo excellent, that no good but the Supreme good can anfwer its defires or prove its adequate happiness.

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SINCE

ANSWER TO

MATHEMATICAL QUESTION,“

Page 284.

INCE a cubic foot of water weighs 62 lb, a cubic foot of air will, by the question, weigh 0,07267 15. Now, by Emerfon's Mechanics, the force or momentum of a fluid in motion, with the velocity of one foot per fecond, will be as double the fpace of a body falling in one fecond of time, is to the fquare root of the fame multiplied into its weight; and this height is, by experiment, found to be nearly 16 feet.

Then, as 16 X 2 : √ 16 ::

Or, as 64 1 :: 0.07267 tb : 0.00113554, the abfolute force of the wind acting on every square foot, when the current of air is at the rate of one foot per fecond; but by the queftion the velocity was 88 feet per fecond.

Whence 88 X 88 X .00113554 X 60 X 30 15828 lb, the abfolute force, if the wind directly faced the building; but fince it came in an angle of 11 degrees, 15 minutes, it must be decreased by this proportion, viz.

As

to the fquare of the natural cofine of 11° 15′ ( 9807852): 15828, to 15225 b, the force required,

POETRY.

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